In a landmark move aimed at revitalizing Nigeria’s rail infrastructure and enhance regional connectivity, the government of Plateau State on Monday, officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to commence commercial operation on the historic Jos–Kuru rail corridor.
The agreement, signed at the NRC Lagos Headquarters, by the Plateau State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Jatau Davou, and the NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, marked a significant milestone in efforts to boost economic activity, reduce transportation costs, and improve mobility in Plateau State and beyond.
Speaking at the official signing ceremony, Davou, who represented the Plateau State government expressed profound gratitude to the Minister of Transportation, Said Ahmed Alkali, and the NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, for their unwavering support despite numerous challenges.
“This is not just about rail transportation; it is about restoring hope and economic prosperity to our people,” Davou noted, adding that; “we appreciate the United Nations for debunking negative narratives about our dear state and reaffirming our commitment to national development.”
The Jos–Kuru line, a segment of the historic Kafanchan–Kuru route linking the National Western from Lagos to Kano and the Eastern line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, will serve as a vital link between the Western and Eastern rail corridors. It will connect local communities, support farmers and traders with efficient cargo movement, and ultimately drive down the cost and duration of travel within the state.
While the service will initially operate on the existing narrow gauge, plans are underway to expand to modern standard gauge networks as part of a broader national railway modernisation programme.
In his remarks, Opeifa emphasized the importance of federal-state cooperation in infrastructure development, lauding the Plateau State government’s proactive role in partnering through the NRC-Railing with the States and the Plateau State Government Railway on the Plateau.
“This partnership demonstrates how government at all levels can collaborate beyond politics, to deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.
We’re not just bringing trains; we’re bringing back dignity, economic empowerment, and national integration,” Opeifa added.
He also clarified that recent reports of railway coaches were being stolen were misinformed. “Those coaches were not stolen. They were redeployed to Plateau where they are now being put to productive use”.
The project is expected to generate jobs, stimulate local businesses, and offer new opportunities through train services.
He disclosed that the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Said Alkali, threw his full weight behind this project, reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and pledged the full support of the federal government in ensuring that it delivered full dividends of rail services to the average Nigerians who badly needed these services.
“We will continue to rail across Nigeria—from Jos to Borno, from Aba to Port Harcourt, and everywhere in between. This is a new dawn for Nigerian rail.”
He said he looked forward to the commencement of commercial operation on the corridor anytime soon, in order to assure the people of the Plateau of the commitment of the Federal Government under the Tinubu administration to take rail transportation to all nooks and crannies of the country.
