The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, has assured that the Federal Government is taking urgent steps to restore rail services between the North and South following the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
Opeifa made the statement on Wednesday during an assessment visit to the site where rail infrastructure was damaged by the flooding. He said he was representing the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sai’du Ahmed-Alkali, who is currently out of the country.
He explained that the Federal Government is deeply concerned about the extent of destruction caused by the flood, which washed away critical portions of the rail tracks in Mokwa, disrupting services across the region.
“We are here to assess the extent of the damage and explore urgent engineering solutions,” he said. “We have interacted with members of the affected community, and many have confirmed that the level of destruction is unprecedented. This is a natural disaster, and we condole with families who lost loved ones.”
Opeifa added that the government would move swiftly to repair the affected tracks to minimise the economic impact of the service disruption. He stressed the importance of restoring rail operations to facilitate the movement of goods between Minna and Lagos.
He also revealed ongoing discussions with the Niger State Government to introduce an intra-city rail service from Jebba to Minna via Mokwa, noting that funding was the only major constraint before the flood incident.
“The integrity of the track is now in question due to the washout,” he said. “This will be fixed promptly, in collaboration with relevant federal and state agencies, to help revive economic activities and enhance national development.”
Opeifa further disclosed plans to improve existing rail infrastructure and introduce modern coaches as part of wider efforts to upgrade the country’s railway system.
(NAN)