Cattle movement by rail resumes soon – NRC

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has said it would soon offer rail services to transport cattle from the northern region to the southern part of the country.

The NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, revealed this on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.

He announced that the transportation of cows and goods would recommence via the Warri-Itakpe route.

The NRC halted cattle transportation by train in 2017 due to technical issues.

According to Okhiria, the Warri-Itakpe train service will resume cattle transportation within a span of one to two months, enabling herders to move their livestock from the north-central region (Itakpe, Kogi State) to the southern region (Warri, Delta State).

He stated that the NRC aims to modernise the transportation of goods in Nigeria.

Okhiria disclosed that the NRC has acquired specialised wagons for transporting livestock, which are currently being assembled at the Kajola facility in Oyo State.

“We’ve built 15 wagons for livestock, and maybe in the next month or two months, they would be deployed from Itakpe to Warri to drive the economy,” he stated.

He emphasised that investments in railways should prioritise the social and economic well-being of the people rather than solely focusing on generating profits.

“You are not developing transportation because you want to make a profit in terms of naira and kobo, but the profit will come indirectly if we can move goods and link cities,” he said.

He noted that while the benefits may not accrue directly to the government, the indirect earnings will still contribute to the overall growth and development of the economy.

President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday announced a plan for a new ministry dedicated to livestock development.

Tinubu also inaugurated the Renewed Hope livestock reform implementation committee at the State House, Abuja.