Policy makers must appreciate economic role of railways — NRC MD

Dr Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has warned that lack of understanding among policy makers about the economic importance of railways remains a major obstacle to the sector’s development. He made the remark in an interview on The Exchange Podcast hosted by Femi Soneye, a former spokesperson of the […]

Dr Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has warned that lack of understanding among policy makers about the economic importance of railways remains a major obstacle to the sector’s development.

He made the remark in an interview on The Exchange Podcast hosted by Femi Soneye, a former spokesperson of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

Opeifa said many government officials wrongly assume that roads are the primary and “easy” solution to transportation needs, while railways are seen as a luxury. He described this perception as historically and economically flawed.

“The history of world-class development is around rail development,” Opeifa said, noting that Nigeria’s first railways were built by the British colonial government to move mineral resources from the hinterlands to the ports for export, thereby facilitating trade and economic growth.

He highlighted the direct link between rail infrastructure and the prosperity of prominent Nigerian business families, suggesting that the failure of current leaders to recognise this connection has hindered national economic potential.

Opeifa identified this lack of understanding as his second-greatest challenge, after funding, saying, “I have met so many people in government who just don’t understand it, even after seeing modern rail systems in China and the United States.”

He emphasised that railways were not merely a social service but a key economic facilitator. “It is the major facilitator of trade beyond bilateral or multilateral agreements. If you don’t have rail, you will not develop,” he added.

He pointed to Saudi Arabia as a model, noting the country’s rapid rail expansion over the last 15 years, with multiple high-speed lines connecting major cities across its vast desert, made possible by deliberate government’s focus on rail infrastructure.

To address Nigeria’s knowledge gap, Opeifa said the NRC was actively advocating recognition of rail as both a social and economic sector.