The House of Representatives has assured to fasttrack the second reading of a proposed bill aimed at strengthening the private sector to invest in railway transportation.
The Chairman, House Committee on Land Transport, Blessing Onuh stated this at the weekend while fielding questions from newsmen after the committee’s oversight visit to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) stations in Lagos.
Onuh, daughter of the former Senate President Senator David Mark, who is representing the Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency, said, “The bill has passed the first reading, hopefully it will be coming for second reading shortly.
“That bill is a proposed bill to unbundle the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to allow companies to come in, to allow private partnership to invest in the rail sector and that will enhance development.”
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She stressed that an effective railway transport system is pivotal to the socio-economic development of the country, adding that the committee would provide legislative support for the means of transport to thrive.
“Rail transport is very vital to the development of every nation. So we need to encourage the railway transport sector,” she said.
According to her, the unbundling of the nation’s oldest public corporation remains the only stumbling block to fully deregulate the rail sector and encourage private investors to come in and play their part in development of the sub-sector.
The committee was taken through the maintenance processes of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge to the Alex Ekwueme Control Tower, before boarding one of the standard gauge trains at the Mobolaji Johnson Train Station for a trip to Ibadan.
Earlier the NRC’s managing director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria disclosed that plans are underway to seek an investor that could provide Independent Power Project (IPP) to run electric locomotives.
He said the existing standard gauges were designed to run on electric trains, but said electricity to power it is yet to be provided.
“The modern locomotive is an electric locomotive. So most of what we are trying to do is try to see an investor that will provide an Independent Power Project (IPP) for raíl service so that we will buy diesel.
“What we are trying to get are people who are coming with proposals and we are looking into a dedicated line for rail operations but any standard line,” he said.
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