Lagos: Diesel costs are threatening train operations at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), said the Managing Director of the corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, who pledged that the NRC would continue to prioritise the welfare of its workforce and make their work environment safer and friendlier.
According to a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, Opeifa gave the assurance during a town hall meeting.
“Let me assure you that the corporation will continue to prioritise your welfare, but you must appreciate our precarious financial position,” he said.
“The fact is that the cost of diesel alone has almost made it impossible to operate our trains. We are running at a loss, and we had to resort to borrowings to keep our operations,” Opeifa said.
The NRC has two workers’ unions – the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR) and the Senior Staff Workers Union.
Members of both unions attended the meeting.
Opeifa said that the workers’ efforts had continued to sustain NRC’s operations.
He said the corporation would not hesitate to improve its workers’ welfare as soon as its financial situation improves.
He also assured that NRC management would continue to work with the workers’ unions on all grey areas, saying that, under his administration, workers would not need to go on strike to resolve any conflict.
He directed the NRC Human Resources Department to address all workforce concerns.
Opeifa said that NRC would soon begin work on deploying a high-speed train from Lagos to Abuja as part of the expansion.
“This requires more spaces not only for the construction of the corridor but also for more modern quarters for essential workers,” he said.
He also said there were plans to construct a befitting headquarters for the NRC at Murtala Muhammed Way, Ebute-Meta, Lagos State.
Earlier, the NUR President, Mr Innocent Ajiji, and his Senior Staff Workers Union counterpart, Mr Marcel Okeke, lauded the NRC managing director for reforming the corporation.
The two union leaders urged NRC management to expedite payment of the 95 per cent enhancement benefit to railway workers.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of a certificate of excellence and the NRC Managing Director’s Cash Award to 13 workers for exceptional contributions to the corporation’s development in 2025.
