“Nigerian railways underutilised”

The Convener, Transporters for Tinubu (TFT), Prince Dr. Segun Obayendo, has stated that 90 per cent of Nigerians still ply roads while railway remains underutilised. He stated this in Abuja on Thursday at a press conference while highlighting the need to harness different means of transportation in the Country. He said, “90% of goods and […]

The Convener, Transporters for Tinubu (TFT), Prince Dr. Segun Obayendo, has stated that 90 per cent of Nigerians still ply roads while railway remains underutilised.

He stated this in Abuja on Thursday at a press conference while highlighting the need to harness different means of transportation in the Country.

He said, “90% of goods and passengers in Nigeria still move by road, while our rail and water transport systems remain underutilised. This puts immense pressure on our roads and increases accident risks.

“Also, in Inland waterways, boat accidents claimed over 326 lives in 2024 alone, an 8.67% increase from 2023. Common causes include overcrowding, lack of life jackets, poorly maintained boats, night voyages. Many boats operate unregistered and without proper vessel inspections, and over 90% of drowning victims were not wearing personal flotation devices.

“Nigeria’s railway infrastructure remains grossly inadequate, with only 3,505 km of mostly colonial-era Cape gauge lines and 669 km of standard gauge tracks serving over 200 million people. Most of the colonial-era network is in poor condition due to insufficient maintenance, while rail projects face challenges including inadequate funding (only N33.1 billion allocated in the 2024 budget), lack of rolling stock, and slow completion of critical routes like the Eastern Rail Line and Lagos-Calabar Railway,” he said.

Speaking on the vision of the group, he said, “Transporters for Tinubu is not a political club and we have seen encouraging signs, road rehabilitation across several states, the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway nearing completion, the revival of the Abuja–Kaduna and Warri–Itakpe rail lines, and efforts to modernise our ports.

These are early steps in the right direction, but we must go further.

“Our goal is to mobilise two million active supporters and members across all 36 states and the FCT, from taxi unions to truck associations, from boat operators to park managers,” he added.

Also speaking, Mrs. Chinwe Uwaegbute, Secretary of the Group stated that it will engage stakeholders at all levels, federal, state, and local governments.