President Bola Tinubu has named Kayode Opeifa as the substantive Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), sources within the presidency confirmed on Wednesday.

Opeifa’s appointment follows the tenure of Ben Iloanusi, who had served as acting MD since the departure of Fidet Okhiri three months ago. An official statement from the presidency regarding the appointment is yet to be released.

Opeifa brings a wealth of experience in transportation, having served as Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation under former Governor Babatunde Fashola (2007–2015). He joined the NRC board in 2019, following an appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In addition to his roles at the NRC, Opeifa has also served as Managing Director of the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (AUMTCO) and as Transport Secretary for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He was also the Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Task Team (PTT) on traffic congestion in Apapa, a committee chaired by former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The appointment of Opeifa underscores President Tinubu’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s railway sector. Recently, Tinubu also approved the appointment of Zahrah Audu as the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).