Oyetola Moves Against Deaths On Waterways With Nationwide Distribution Of Lifejackets’ Distribution – Samuel Banjamin

In a significant step towards improving safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways, the Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, officially launched the distribution of 42,000 life jackets to waterway users across 12 selected riverine states on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The ceremony took place in Minna, Niger State, and marks a proactive approach to addressing the alarming rate of boat accidents and fatalities in the country’s riverine areas.

Each beneficiary state will receive 3,500 life jackets in the first phase of this strategic safety intervention by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. This initiative is one of the most comprehensive federal responses in recent times to the persistent loss of lives on Nigeria’s waterways.

Oyetola emphasized that the distribution of life jackets is not just a ceremonial gesture but a deliberate and transparent effort to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians who rely daily on inland waterways. He highlighted the rising incidence of mishaps due to human error, poor equipment, and non-compliance with safety measures, describing the trend as a national emergency that requires collective action.

The minister also referenced the introduction of the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations, 2023—commonly known as the Waterways Transportation Code—which aims to standardize operations, enforce compliance, and create a more structured environment for investment and safety.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State, represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, commended the minister for launching the campaign in Niger State, describing it as a “critical focal point” in the battle against waterway mishaps. He revealed that Niger State recorded the highest casualties from boat accidents in 2024 and affirmed the state government’s determination to address this issue through strict enforcement and proactive intervention.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola, reiterated the importance of wearing life jackets, noting that while vessel owners and operators are legally responsible for providing them, the government has stepped in to bridge the gap. He urged continuous sensitization and public education to promote life jacket usage.

In addition to the life jackets, the Niger State Commissioner for Transport, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta, expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for also donating three passenger boats, a water ambulance, and a patrol boat through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to bolster the state’s marine safety efforts.

Goodwill messages were delivered by key stakeholders, including the representative of the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Chiefs, Brig. Gen. Yahaya Abubakar (Rtd); the Chairman of the Niger State House Committee on Transport; the Chairman of the Association of Boat Operators in Niger State; as well as representatives of boat commuters and community leaders. All the speakers commended the ministry for its strategic and timely intervention.

Train: Taming ruinous effect of vandalism

By Michael Peters

Perhaps no other issue has posed more greater challenge to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), than the scourge of vandalism of the nation’s fixed rail assets.

Hardly would a day pass without the media being awash with attacks by saboteurs who mindlessly plunder the resources of the country for private gains.

While in certain instances a few saboteurs were caught, but in manners suggesting that they work in cahoots with other well-heeled top guns in the society, many a time, they get hints of invasion by the security agents and evade arrest.

At such instances vehicles, loaded with vandalized materials were impounded by operatives as exhibits, while efforts to unveil those behind the acts and their collaborators often yielded no result.

From Jos, to Bauchi, from Maiduguri to Jebba, from Kafanchan to Aba, and from Port Harcourt to Umuahia or from Jebba, to Ilorin, even Lagos or Osogbo, vandals hold sway across virtually the seven operational districts of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, throwing into abeyance national assets, over a century old, pushing back the nation’s forward strides as a rail-friendly country.

Despite the formation and dedication of a full command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to the NRC, with a complement from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), saddled by law with the responsibility to protect all national assets, saboteurs continue to attack rail materials, including metallic rail slippers, clips, long range irons and other equipment belonging to the corporation.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation system, about 127 years, which commenced operation in 1898, pioneered the opening up of Nigeria, representing the oldest, modern form of transportation in Nigeria.

Though it was initiated as a private interest firm, (to push raw materials from the agro processing and production zones to the ports for exports), it was taken over by the colonial government as Government Railway for the purpose of easy and cheap movement of bulk goods from the seaports to the hinterlands, and vice versa. It commenced rail business activities with the construction of the first rail line from Lagos-Ibadan (193km), between 1898 and 1901 and between 1898 and 1964, the Nigerian rail network increased to 3,505km of narrow gauge lines, comprising of over 350 bridges, 20 quarries and 300 stations.

Rail development was stalled in the 1960s until 1986, when the Federal Government of Nigeria commenced the construction of 326km standard gauge (1,435m) rail lines phase 1 from Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri. Further rail infrastructure development was halted until the Buhari administration commenced the rehabilitation and modernisation plan of the Federal Government, with the rehabilitation  of the 1,367 km Lagos-Kano rail, the completion and commercial operation of the 186km Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge, capping it with the construction and operationalization of the 185.5km Lagos-Ibadan new double standard gauge rail lines in 2022, with a spur to the Apapa Port. It also pursued the completion and operationalization of the 302km Itakpe-Ajaokuta standard gauge rail line to Warri, while its connection to the Warri port is ongoing.

However, though the Nigerian Railway has witnessed significant revitalization both on the narrow as well as the standard gauge lines in recent years, the progress faces formidable threats in the persistent vandalism of railway materials, which threatens safety, disrupts services, leaving a huge gap in service delivery.

Ballooning Problem

Vandalism of railway infrastructure in Nigeria has escalated, targeting essential components like rail clips, bolts and tracks. For instance in May 2025, vandals dismantled rail clips along the Warri-Itakpe corridor, causing a 40 minute delay in train services. Such incidents not only hinder operations but also pose severe safety risks.

The NRC reports that between 2022 and 2023, approximately 150,000 rail clips were stolen across key routes, including Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Abuja-Kaduna. These acts of sabotage compromise the integrity of the railway system, leading to service disruptions and a spike in maintenance costs.

The Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa wondered why Nigerians keep plundering assets that ought to be jealousy guarded. He threatened to summary dismissal of any worker found colluding with any economic saboteur, even as he said the security operatives have been mandated to prosecute any one caught vandalising rail assets.

Opeifa said in several sections of the country, vandalised materials have led to suspension of railway operation, in order to protect lives of innocent passengers and prevent eventual derailment with it’s attendant cost implications.

Causes

Experts said the rampant rate of vandalism of railway assets was traceable to economic hardship, which showed up as high unemployment and poverty levels which propel individuals to steal railway components often sold as scrap metal.

Others are ignorance of the critical importance of these crucial materials in the various communities they are sited.

Opeifa said; “many communities are ignorant of the critical importance of these infrastructure and unaware that these components can be repurposed despite their age and rustic state, leading to complicity in cases of vandalism.”

Of course, many of the vandalised sections are in remote areas where there is either none of scanty security. Over time, the poor surveillance and patrols of railway assets have marked them vulnerable to theft and destructive attacks. Experts urged the corporation to return the regime of rangers whose task is to ensure that they police the tracks, reports incidents of washouts or vandalised sections which may be injurious to train operations.

There are also alleged culpability of law enforcers, poor legal framework for strong enforcement, manifesting in insufficient penalties and sanctions on these criminals.

Consequences

The consequences of vandalism are multi-faceted. These include among others; safety hazards and operational glitches because damaged components can lead to derailments.

Operational glitches oftentimes manifest in service disruptions delays, and outright cancellation affecting commuters and freight operations. Economic Losses: repairing vandalized infrastructure diverts funds from expansion and improvement projects. Frequent disruption could also lead to the erosion of public trust as it diminishes confidence in the railway system, potentially reducing ridership.

To fight the scourge of vandalism, the Dr Kayode Opeifa led management of the NRC has embarked on aggressive campaign aimed at reducing the incidences of vandalism of the nation’s rail assets.

Some other steps taken by the NRC includes community engagement which involves collaboration with local vigilante groups such as the Agbarho community’s prompt alert in May 2025 which enabled swift repairs averting potential accidents of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS).

Public awareness campaigns: There has been a sustained campaign against vandalism since the new NRC boss, Dr Opeifa, resumed drawing attention to the ills of vandalism, warning Nigerians to run away from the scourge as anyone caught would be treated as economic saboteur.

Opeifa has always reiterated the value of the railway infrastructure drawing lessons from developed environment many of which have had railway assets spanning over two centuries. He usually seeks to foster a sense of community ownership urging the communities hosting rail assets to protect and own them.

There is also need for stricter legal reforms including the enforcement of capital punishment to deter vandals.

To rein in vandalism of rail assets, experts canvassed a multifaceted approach.

A former NRC Managing Director Engr Mazi J.C Nwankwo, said the Federal Government could deploy drones and CCTV camera along the railway corridors to boost monitoring and quick response to the incident.

Community Policing may just be another initiative that could further strengthen the protection of the assets as it would empowering locals to be part of the security architecture for the corporation.

Though vandalism appears to be of wider  dimension, yet its predominance in the last two decades around the geo-political zones that have experienced increased insecurity.

Conclusion

Though vandalism might pose a hard nut, yet, it is not insurmountable. Through a combination of initiatives such as community involvement, moral suasion of the corporation’s workers, technological advancements and more robust reforms, and stricter laws, the prevalence might be confronted, abated, leading to the preservation of the integrity of the railway system.

The protection of these national assets is not only about national pride but is necessary for the nation’s economic prosperity and social and financial advancement.

Driving renewed hope agenda on rails:  Connecting Nigeria for prosperity

By Michael Peters

Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda has become a beacon guiding Nigeria’s journey toward inclusive growth, national integration, and infrastructural rebirth. In this vision, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) plays a pivotal role—laying tracks not just across the land, but deep into the soul of the nation, leading the path to it’s economic and social recovery.

The impact ranges from national integration through mobility connectivity to job creation by linking people to jobs, farm products to the market, raw materials, minerals and agric products to the sea ports for export and trades and manufacturing for trade facilitations amongst others.

1. Constitutional amendment which moved Rail infrastructure development from the Exclusive to the Concurrent list.
2. Railing with States
3. Track Access Programme
4. Freight Revolution by Rail
5. Improved Rail infrastructure
6. Completion and commercial operations of the Port Harcourt to Aba section of the PH to Maiduguri line
7. Completion and commissioning of the extension of Lagos Ibadan SG lines into Apapa Lagos Port Complex.

2. Railing with States: Subnational Partnerships for National Mobility Inclusiveness and socio-economic growth.

Recognizing that infrastructure development must be inclusive and locally relevant the “Railing with States” initiative a collaborative model that invites subnational governments to actively participate in rail development.

Under this framework,  states can now have structured access to the National rail assets for socioeconomic development of the state and the country.

Memorandum between NRC and states, were entered into with Plateau, Kaduna, Niger States Ogun among others. The programme encourages NRC to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with state governments to co-develop intra-city rail systems and revive abandoned national rail lines for local mobility with possible last mile connectivity to major economic clusters. Lagos, Kano, Ogun, Plateau, Abia and Enugu states have shown promising engagement, setting a national example for decentralized rail planning that still flows into a unified national network.

2. Track Access Programme: Unlocking Private Sector Investment. “This is about unlocking our hidden capacity,”

To accelerate rail modernization and reduce fiscal pressure on government, the NRC/FMOT has introduced the Track Access Programme (TAP)—a bold policy shift that opens existing rail corridors to licensed private operators.

Through TAP, logistics companies, industrial parks, and even state-backed ventures can lease access to NRC tracks and operate their own locomotives and wagons under regulated standards. This public-private model is already attracting investors and easing the bottlenecks in the movement of bulk goods.

TAP is more than a policy—it is a paradigm shift that invites innovation, increases efficiency, and upholds safety and service quality, all in alignment with the Renewed Hope of a thriving, competitive Nigerian economy. The LASG Red line on Lagos Ibadan SG line for passengers and the CCECC access on the SG for freight. Freight terminals are being redesigned as logistics hubs, integrated with road transport and inland waterways. This revolution is not only moving goods faster—it is also reviving towns along the corridors, creating jobs, and expanding local economies.

3. Freight Revolution by Rail: Reclaiming the Logistics Backbone

At the heart of the President’s economic plan is the need to drastically improve logistics of Freight movement. Freight Revolution by Rail is a direct response—aimed at moving Nigeria from a road-dependent freight model to a multimodal logistics ecosystem powered by rail. Under this initiative, the NRC had commenced the operations of all three standard gauges into the Apapa Port terminals at APMT, ENL, moving coils, soda ash, gypsum, cement and containerized goods from Apapa port to Papalanto, Ibadan, and Ilorin.

Freight terminals are being redesigned as logistics hubs, integrated with road transport, inland waterways, and digital tracking systems. This revolution is not only moving goods faster—it is also reviving towns along the corridors, creating jobs, and expanding local economies

1. Completion and commercial operations of the Port Harcourt to Aba section of the PH to Maiduguri line.
2. Completion and commissioning of the Extension of Lagos Ibadan Standard Gauge lines into Apapa Lagos Port Complex.

iii. Rehabilitation and commencement of Freight services on the Lagos Kaduna Kano Narrow Gauge.

1. Freight terminals are being redesigned as logistics hubs, integrated with road transport and inland waterways connectivity. This revolution is not only moving goods faster—it is also reviving towns along the corridors, creating jobs, and expanding local economies.
2. Developmental work has been concluded for the commencement to completion of Aba to Enugu, Ibadan to Oshogbo, Lagos Apapa Port Complex to the Tin Can Port complex, PH to the Onne Port Complex.

As steel meets soil across Nigeria, hope moves not just on wheels—but in the hearts of a people journeying toward a better tomorrow.