Published By Seyi Babalola
The Managing Director of Nigeria’s centennial corporation – the Nigerian Railway Corporation Engr. Fidet Okhiria has hinted of the unbundling of the corporation to enhance efficiency through private sector participation in railway operations.
Okhiria who spoke on the issue on Monday said the unbundling would pave the way for the decentralization of the operations of the railway which would encourage other players, be it governments or corporate organisations to participate while the Federal Government provides the critical infrastructure for the smooth operations of the transportation mode.
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He said a presidential committee headed by the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Rukayat Saraki, has been constituted to facilitate the unbundling process.
According to him, the committee’s terms of reference includes studying and making recommendations for the success of the exercise.
He further explained that the Nigerian Railway Corporation as presently constituted would be unbundled into four major companies which are: Operations, Infrastructure Management, Regulation and Marketing.
He said the number of components/companies expected to emerge from the unbundling would depend largely in the recommendations of the committee.
Okhiria who is a member of the committee said the unbundling would create the level playing ground for all players from any parts of the country, to key into the sub-sector of transportation and providing service according to their competences and scope of operations.
He said: “We are still meeting. The committee among others will recommend what it thinks best suits our terrain. It could be two companies; it could be three companies; it could be the same one company, depending on what the committee decides or thinks is appropriate for the efficiency of the nation’s railway system.
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“We want to encourage the private sector to come in. As the railway is presently, it is difficult for the private operators to come in, but if we unbundle, private people can bring their rolling stock to come and operate on the tracks provided by the Federal Government as part of our national heritage,” he said.
Reacting to a trending video showing passengers standing inside coaches on the newly inaugurated Lagos-Ibadan train service, Okhiria who said the development has not been brought to his notice, however attributed such to be as a result of over subscription or patronage by Nigerians for the service.
The NRC Chief assured that the corporation would soon deploy more coaches and increase the number of train movements on the corridor to prevent such developments. “Plans had been concluded to increase passenger train service on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge to six daily services within the next two weeks and this we hope would address the surge presently being experienced by commuters on that route,” Okhiria said.
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