Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this during a meeting with top officials of the SWDC, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Charles Diji Akinola, at the NRC headquarters in Lagos on Wednesday. Opeifa noted that the corporation is open to strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening national and regional railway operations.
He commended the SWDC for building on the groundwork previously laid by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission in developing a regional rail master plan for the six southwestern states.
According to a statement signed by NRC spokesperson Callistus Unyimadu, Akinola said SWDC’s interest in rail development was inspired by years of infrastructural studies done by DAWN. He stressed that reviving old railway lines and creating new ones will be critical to unlocking the economic potential of the Southwest.
Plans for Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Rail Projects
Akinola disclosed that the commission intends to operate dormant routes on a profit-sharing arrangement with the NRC as part of its short-term plan. He specifically mentioned the reactivation of the Osogbo–Dagbolu–Erunmu corridor and the Idogo line—an important agricultural supply route.
He explained that expanding rail access would support food supply chains, reduce transport costs, and promote regional trade. “We want to use the rail to move foodstuffs into Lagos and take consumer goods out to the other Southwest states,” he said.
In the medium term, the SWDC will seek operational and track access licenses for new routes and encourage private-sector investment. It is also asking for land approvals to construct warehouses along the rail corridors, similar to the siding recently developed in Osun State.
Akinola confirmed that all six governors in the region have endorsed the initiative, describing it as a major step toward economic revitalization.
NRC: ‘Partnership Is Possible and Will Happen’
In his response, NRC MD Opeifa said the corporation is committed to working with federal and state agencies to deepen rail penetration in line with President Bola Tinubu’s transportation agenda. He noted that similar requests have come from development commissions and state governments across the country.
“What you are asking for is possible and will happen. We are already reviewing your request for operating track access licenses, and our directors will work with your technical team to develop the appropriate MOU,” he said.
Opeifa added that the recent amendment moving rail from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List means states, development commissions, and the private sector can now freely participate in railway development.
He highlighted NRC’s Track Access Programme and the “Railing With the States” initiative, which empower sub-nationals to use existing national rail infrastructure at no extra cost.
The joint NRC–SWDC team later inspected the Lagos Iddo Terminal, currently under renovation, and the Mobolaji Johnson Station at Ebute Metta as part of the partnership discussions.
