The Federal Government is set to unveil an ambitious railway expansion program aimed at connecting more Nigerian cities than ever before, Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has announced.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Saturday, Opeifa said the expansion initiative will be the most extensive in Nigeria’s history, with strong collaboration between the federal and state governments.

“States are even getting grants from the national government to develop their rail lines,” he revealed. “Lagos is using track access on the Red Line. Kaduna is coming out very soon. Niger State is supporting us on the narrow gauge—except for the recent Mokwa flooding that disrupted plans. The goal was to take rail service to Minna, Ilorin, and Offa during this festive season.”

Opeifa disclosed that Plateau State is also part of the plan, with a new Jos–Bukuru rail line under development. He credited recent progress to a landmark constitutional reform that shifted railway development from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list, empowering states to build independent rail infrastructure.

“This government supported the removal of rail from the exclusive list. Now, states can develop rail systems on their own and are being supported by federal grants,” he said.

He noted that ₦400 billion was earmarked in the current federal budget to support state-led rail initiatives, with several states already benefiting from the funding.

The South-West regional rail blueprint is nearing completion, while major rail infrastructure efforts are underway in both the South-East and North-East regions. Opeifa emphasized that the overall strategy aligns with the federal government’s commitment to a unified national transport network.

“The national government still owes every Nigerian the duty of connecting the cities,” Opeifa concluded.