The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has issued a permanent operating licence to the Lagos State Government for the operation of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, LRMT, Red Line, a move regarded as a major milestone in Nigeria’s railway sector and a boost for state participation in rail transportation.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony on Tuesday, the Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, described the development as a significant departure from the corporation’s 128-year monopoly over railway operations in the country.
According to him, although the NRC would continue to perform its statutory responsibilities, the corporation was aligning with global best practices by opening the sector to multiple operators within a regulated rail system.
Opeifa explained that the permanent licence was presented to the Lagos State Government through the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, after the successful implementation of a temporary operating licence earlier granted under a Track Sharing Agreement.
He said the
