● Ensures passenger safety
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, has moved to allay public fears over railway safety, clarifying that a recent train accident was solely due to “human error” and not as a result of vandalism or a safety breach. He made this clarification during an interview on The Exchange Podcast, hosted by Femi Soneye.
Opeifa addressed what he described as “genuine concerns” of Nigerians about road safety. He took the opportunity to contextualize train travel, arguing that it remains one of the safest modes of land transportation, with high chances of passenger survival in the event of an accident. He referred to a specific incident in Abuja where a train carrying 618 passengers derailed. He noted that “not a single fatality was recorded,” and only 22 people were injured.
Opeifa highlighted this result as a testament to the inherent safety of railway systems and the effectiveness of emergency response. The rapid recovery of the locomotive using semi-automatic cranes and local technicians was also cited as evidence of the growing national capacity to deal with railway emergencies, which should boost public confidence. The NRC chief stated that the incident, although unfortunate, served as a real-world test of the system’s resilience.
On the broader issue of security, Opeifa provided a geographical breakdown, assuring that corridors in the southwest, such as Lagos Ibadan, and the Warri Itakpe line have not experienced security breaches. The main security challenges, he noted, are limited to certain parts of the Northern and Eastern regions.
He also announced that there has not been a single safety-related violation on any active rail corridor in the last three years. “That means something is happening that we deserve to be happy about,” he said, praising security agencies for their work.
The NRC MD attributed this improvement in safety record to the tireless efforts of military and police personnel deployed to protect the railway lines. Even in areas with communal clashes, he noted, the conflicts have not spread to the railway tracks, indicating a successful containment strategy.
Opeifa reiterated that the corporation is committed to implementing global best practices in safety and security. This includes ongoing staff training to minimize human error, which it identified as the cause of the recent accident, resulting from “poor application of operational guidelines.”
The NRC, according to him, is also focusing on offering more frequent rail services. He noted that increased activity on the lines will foster a sense of community ownership and reduce the window of opportunity for vandals to operate under the guise of inactivity.