Rail transport revenue surges to N1.1bn in Q2 2023 –NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that its revenue for the second quarter of 2023 increased to N1.1 billion from the sum of N768 million collected from rail passengers in the first quarter of this year. In its Transportation Data (Q2 2023)’ report published on its website Friday, the statistics bureau the figure represents a 69.7 per cent increase over the Q1 figure. On a year-on-year basis, the amount represents a 83 per cent increase over the sum of N598.74 million generated in the corresponding quarter of 2022. The NBS disclosed that in the quarter under review, a total of N188.03 million was generated from the transportation of goods and cargo by rail, amounting to an increase of 105.04 per cent when compared to the N91.70 million revenue in Q2 2022. Furthermore, the Bureau disclosed that miscellaneous income from rail transport in Q2 2023 amounted to N18.74 million, reflecting a decline of 62.31% from the N49.73 million reported in Q2 2022. On the number of passengers that travelled by rail during the quarter, the statistics agency reported a significant increase with a total of 474,117 passengers, which also indicated 12.25% increase compared to the 422,393 passengers reported in the same quarter of 2022. However, the report showed that the volume of goods transported by rail in Q2 this year reduced to 56,029 tons, from the 59,996 tons recorded in the first quarter of 2023 but that when compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022, the volume of cargo increased from 31,197 tons.

Alkali pledges to reactivate road, rail transport operations

The newly appointed Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Àhmed Alkali, has assumed office, with a pledge to reactivate road and rail transport operations in the country. The Minister gave the assurance in Abuja during his first day in office, saying he will collaborate with relevant Ministries, Agencies, and corporate entities to make this possible. Similarly, Sen. Alkali said that his administration will carefully study the prevailing economic trends, as well as undertake the provision, modernization, rehabilitation, planning and development of the rail transport sector with efficient security services to support the realization of the primary purpose of government. This initiative according to him, will no doubt maximize the potentials embodied in the recent constitutional alterations that moved rail transportation services to the Concurrent List, adding that this will reduce the frequent menace on Nigerian roads which are characterized by accidents, kidnappings, and armed robbery. ”As a compliment towards ensuring the realization of this aspiration, I will support the provision of necessary conducive environment while at the same time, maintaining zero tolerance to indiscipline, laxity, inefficiency, and any form of misconduct in the discharge of any official responsibilities. While pledging that the Ministry will under his supervision, strive to ensure the realization of its mandate and the mandates of agencies under its purview, he joined the staff to accord him the necessary support to succeed. According to him, working as a team would not only help to harness the resources of the nation but promote national prosperity and a dynamic self-reliant economy that would actualize the renewed hope of the present administration’s developmental agenda of ensuring an efficient transport system that is in consistent with the socio-economic objectives of the constitution. The Minister further said that he will soon embark on facility tour of Agencies supervised by the Ministry with a view to making them more efficient and effective to meet global standards. Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation/ Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani in a welcome address, promised a smooth working relationship with the Minister for the development of the sector, while expressing optimism that he would be of immense help to the Ministry coming from the National Assembly. Speaking on the agencies under the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary said: “The University of Transportation in Daura is our newest baby. It was a Corporate Social Responsibility from one of our main railway contractor, CCECC. So, the University was built in Daura purely for transportation; training of Nigerians on transportation. The immediate past President appointed the Vice Chancellor just before he left and he’s trying to midwife the University”.