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 approval officially authorises LAMATA to operate services along the shared rail corridor in line with the agreement, while also empowering the Lagos State Government to manage additional rail systems in accordance with international standards.
The NRC boss recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan approved the transfer of two federal rail tracks to the Lagos State Government in April 2012 to support the development of the Red Line rail project.
He added that passenger operations on the rail line commenced on October 15, 2024, following its inauguration by President Bola Tinubu, noting that the NRC also contributed through
