NRC boss defends safety record, says derailments normal worldwide
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, has defended the corporation’s safety record, insisting that train derailments are normal occurrences worldwide and not peculiar to Nigeria.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Opeifa said the rail sector is expanding rapidly, with the corporation focused on facilitating trade, boosting economic growth and reducing poverty by linking people to jobs, manufacturers to markets and farmers to consumers, while improving logistics and supply chains.
He noted that derailments occur globally, citing incidents in the United Kingdom and other countries. According to him, several derailments were recorded worldwide around the same period Nigeria experienced similar cases, stressing that such events are common in the rail industry.
Opeifa disclosed that Nigeria recorded three major derailments in 2025 — on August 26 at Asham in Kaduna State, and on November 1 and November 8 at Abraka and Agbor on the Warri-Itakpe line. He said the NRC responded swiftly, restoring services within 24 hours in one instance and within 21 and 28 days in others.
“It is usual — a normal crisis in the rail sector. What you mean by derailment is when a train moves away from the track. It can result from faulty switches, human error, weather conditions, signal glitches or ageing infrastructure. These are preventable incidents, but they are not peculiar to Nigeria,” he said.
Addressing allegations of financial mismanagement, Opeifa declined to comment on matters before the court, describing them as sub judice. He said issues of corruption should be handled by appropriate authorities and maintained that his focus is repositioning the NRC to meet global best practices.
He assured Nigerians of improved services, stating that damaged coaches involved in previous incidents had been restored by Nigerian engineers. He added that the Warri-Itakpe and Abuja-Kaduna lines are operational, with Abuja-Kaduna increasing from two to three daily trips.
On the development roadmap, Opeifa said plans are underway to connect major cities nationwide, subject to funding. He dismissed claims of abandoned projects and highlighted ongoing expansions, including proposed links from Warri to Abuja and from Lekki Deep Sea Port to Benin, Onitsha and Aba, alongside signalling upgrades and new metro projects in Kaduna, Kano and Lagos.
