Stakeholders have called for the privatisation of the Nigerian Railway Corporation to reduce the spate of train derailments in the country.
The calls come after three derailments within two weeks.
The Managing Director of Bethlehem Rail Infrastructure Limited, Rowland Ataguba, expressed concern over the rate of derailments in the country.
“Three derailments in two weeks is cause for concern given our relatively low rail traffic,” he said.
Ataguba noted that previous recommendations for electronic surveillance and motion detection systems along the Abuja-Kaduna railway had not been implemented.
He also highlighted the lack of fencing along the tracks, which he claimed had made them vulnerable to unauthorised access.
“A private operator would take a more proactive approach to securing the railway, as their business depends on it,” Ataguba said.
He urged the government to consider privatisation to bring in operators with superior management capabilities.
Transport expert Olumide Ohunayo echoed those concerns, criticising the NRC’s management.
“The NRC is not being managed like an entity that wants to be commercially viable,” he said, calling for the transfer of railway management to competent private operators to improve efficiency and accountability.
Ohunayo pointed to issues such as resistance to modern payment systems and poor staff accountability, arguing that privatisation would attract more investments and restore public confidence in train services.
Train derailments occur when a train goes off its rails and this is caused by various factors such as track defects, equipment failure, excessive speed, human error, or obstacles on the tracks.
On May 26, a train from Kaduna derailed at Jere, causing three carriages to leave the tracks.
Another train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna on June 5 derailed at Asha Station, leaving passengers stranded.
Also, on June 12, a train derailed between Kaduna and Abuja.
The Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, highlighted security challenges on the Abuja-Kaduna route.
He stressed the need for thorough investigations into recurring security breaches and called for government intelligence to address those issues.
“The road is not safe and we thought the railway was going to be safe, but the rail line is not safe either. We need to find out what is causing these problems,” Ojikutu said.