Railways to link Ekiti, Ondo in new SW Development Commission MOU
By Samuel Ogunsona
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and the Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) have signed a new Memorandum of Understand that would extend railways to all the SW states.
At present, Ondo and Ekiti have no access to railways.
The partnership aims to enhance regional connectivity, stimulate economic growth, and improve the transportation of goods between Lagos and other southwestern states.But an official of Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM) Mr Popoola Ajayi told Irohinoodua that h would wish to see the railways extended to Edo and Delt states saying the two states were part of the old Western Region.
The NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa said he was delighted to see the SWDC take off from where the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission stopped, in the area of developing a master plan for regional rail development for states in the southwest.
The corporation is open for business and ready to support initiatives that align with national development priorities.
The SWDC Managing Director, Charles Diji Akinola, stated that the commission’s plan is divided into short, medium, and long-term phases.
In the short term, SWDC seeks to reactivate key abandoned rail lines, such as the Osogbo-Dagbolu-Erunmu route and the Idogo line, to facilitate agricultural produce movement and food distribution.
“We want to incentivize agricultural production and use these rail routes to move foodstuffs to Lagos and transport consumer goods back to other states,” Akinola said.
The commission aims to maximize existing rail services in Lagos, Oyo, and Osun to ensure efficient movement of foodstuffs into Lagos while transporting consumer goods to other southwest states.
Akinola emphasized that the initiative has the full support of southwest governors and would serve as a catalyst for economic revitalization in the region.
The NRC and SWDC will work together to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the operationalization of designated routes. Opeifa assured that the NRC is committed to partnering with the SWDC, federal agencies, and private sector stakeholders to deepen railway penetration in line with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s mandate.
