NRC Ranks Among Top 10 GDP Contributors In 2025 — Opeifa
OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has emerged as one of the top 10 contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025, according to its Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa.
Dr. Opeifa, citing the latest 2025 report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said the corporation ranked among the leading revenue-generating federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) contributing to national economic growth.
Speaking during an interview, the NRC Managing Director identified vandalism, infrastructure washouts and inadequate funding as some of the major challenges faced by the corporation in the past year.
He noted that although the Federal Government has consistently provided funding beyond what the NRC generates internally, additional resources are required for the corporation to operate at optimal capacity.
Opeifa disclosed that both the narrow-gauge and standard-gauge rail systems are currently operational across the country, adding that the corporation is embarking on an aggressive recovery and rehabilitation of locomotives, wagons and other rolling stock to improve efficiency and service delivery.
As part of efforts to transition to cleaner energy, the NRC is planning to deploy Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered trains on the Lagos–Ibadan and Warri–Itakpe corridors as gas infrastructure becomes available along the routes.
He revealed that the corporation has completed its LNG proof-of-concept phase and successfully demonstrated the technology for one month.
According to him, once regulatory approvals are secured and gas systems are fully in place along the corridors, LNG will be used to generate electricity to power train operations.
He said the move aligns with Nigeria’s gas expansion agenda and will significantly reduce operating costs while enhancing energy security in the rail sector.
Beyond energy transition, Opeifa outlined plans to significantly expand Nigeria’s rail network. He said the NRC would soon unveil a national rail roadmap aimed at increasing the country’s rail lines from about 4,000 kilometres to 10,000 kilometres within the next five years, with a long-term target of 20,000 kilometres over the next two decades.
He stressed that achieving these targets would require strong private-sector participation, noting that government funding alone is insufficient to meet the scale of investment needed.
According to him, the Federal Government is open to concessioning arrangements and partnerships and is willing to provide sovereign guarantees for railway investments.
Despite security challenges, Opeifa said rail operations have continued nationwide, commending railway engineers and technical personnel for sustaining services. He called for greater community ownership of rail assets as a key deterrent to vandalism, particularly along the Warri–Itakpe corridor, where repeated attacks have led to extensive track replacements.
Looking ahead, the NRC plans to introduce more digital systems and expand major rail corridors, including the completion of the Lagos–Kano line, the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri route and the Ajaokuta–Abuja connection to enhance seamless movement between the southern and northern parts of the country.
Opeifa also disclosed that the corporation is collaborating with several state governments, including Lagos, Zamfara, Plateau, Niger and Ogun states, to improve rail asset utilisation.
He added that private sector participation in rail logistics is growing, with about 28 logistics companies already licensed to operate on NRC tracks, moving goods from Apapa Port to various destinations across the country.
He noted that private operators with locomotives and rolling stock are granted access to NRC tracks at no additional cost, stressing that increased rail usage directly benefits the economy.
Reflecting on his first year in office, Opeifa described the state of the corporation at the time as being in “intensive care,” but said reforms and staff cooperation have restored investor confidence.
He added that several new licences have been issued in recent weeks, describing the development as a positive signal for the future of Nigeria’s rail sector.
