FG Set to Announce Major Railway Expansion Connecting Multiple Cities

The federal government is preparing to unveil an ambitious railway development plan aimed at linking several cities across Nigeria, according to Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Saturday, Opeifa revealed that the upcoming plan will establish rail lines in more locations than ever before. He emphasized the increasing role of state governments in rail development, supported by federal grants. For instance, Lagos State is utilizing existing track access on its red line project, while Kaduna and Niger States are actively involved in developing narrow-gauge rail lines—despite recent disruptions caused by flooding in Mokwa.

Opeifa also mentioned upcoming projects in Ogun State and highlighted new developments such as the Jos-Bukuru line in Plateau State. He attributed the growing participation of states in railway infrastructure to the recent removal of railways from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, allowing states to initiate and manage their own rail systems with federal support.

“In this current budget, ₦400 billion was allocated to support states,” he said, noting that several states have already benefited from this funding. The strategy, according to Opeifa, is to ease the financial burden on the national government while ensuring cities across the country are connected through an integrated rail network.

He added that plans for the southwest are nearly complete, with significant progress also being made in the southeast and northeast regions.