We must investigate why Railways begin to have problems after one year, Akpabio

The Senate has begun a full scale investigation through a public hearing on the general situations of the nation’s railway system.

The Senate has  resolved to probe  into the railway projects executed under the former President, Late Muhammadu Buhari, following repeated derailments, vandalism, and mechanical failures on the Itakpe–Warri rail corridor.

The probe, which will include a public hearing is aimed   at  uncoverinf the root causes of recurring derailments and assess the condition of rail infrastructure, as well as the imported materials used in the sector.

Consequently,  the Senate has set up an ad hoc Committee to uncover the root causes of recurring derailments and assess the condition of rail infrastructure, as well as the imported materials used in the sector.

Additionally, Senators  have directed the Nigerian Railway Corporation to immediately address the technical faults responsible for recent derailments and ensure that the nation’s rail system is restored to full operational capacity.

According to the resolution, the ad hoc committee which is  chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North will also investigate loans received from China.

Other members of the Committee are Senatora Huseini Babaginda, Adamu Aliero, Wasiu Eshinlokun, Osita Ngwu, Adeola Solomon, Ibrahim Dankwabo, Ireti Kingibe and Sahabi Yau.

The Committee has six weeks to complete its findings and present a detailed report to the Senate.

The Abuja-Kaduna train derailment is the second to occur at the same station within 13 months.
 
The Upper Chamber has resolved to establish an ad hoc committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the persistent derailments of the country’s rail lines.

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were  sequel to a  motion on the recent derailment of the Ujevwu-Itakpe train line and calling for urgent investigation, rehabilitation, and enhanced safety measures to protect passengers and national infrastructure.

It was sponsored by Senator Ede Dafinone,  APC, Delta Central.

It also directed the Senate Committee on Land Transport to conduct a full-scale investigation into all railway projects executed during the Buhari administration, with particular attention to project funding, implementation standards, and maintenance practices.

Lawmakers further endorsed the establishment of a National Rail Safety and Standards Unit to monitor all rail operations nationwide and ensure compliance with international best practices.

Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio  has said thar the probe has become imperative against the backdrop that the railways cannot be having problems one year after they came into existence. 

According to him, "The same characters that built the Rails are the ones trying to take over government by revolution, it is like the Air Nigeria when you pour water after fanfare,  everything fizzle out."

After extensive deliberations, Akpabio who presided over the session, commended his colleagues for the robust debate and described the motion as “timely and necessary to protect lives, restore service reliability, and safeguard national investments.”

Akpabio who noted that the Senate would not treat the matter lightly, given the loss of public funds and growing safety risks, said, “This is not a partisan issue. The derailments began even before this administration took office. We must find out what went wrong, from how the loans were obtained to how the projects were executed and maintained. The Nigerian people deserve answers.”

Earlier in his presentation,  Senator Dafinone said that "The Senate: Notes that the Ujevwu–Itakpe Standard Gauge Rail Line remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic transportation corridors, linking the South-South through Delta State to the North-Central region, serving as a vital route for the movement of passengers, goods, and industrial materials;

"Further notes that the line, which resumed operations on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, after three months of suspension, has within just four days of service experienced a series of alarming technical failures — maintenance downtime on Thursday, a major mechanical fault on Friday that left passengers stranded until nearly midnight, and finally a derailment near Agbor, Delta State, on Saturday, November 1, 2025;

"Deeply concerned that while there has fortunately been no loss of life so far, these recurring mechanical breakdowns and derailments point to grave safety lapses, inadequate technical supervision, and poor maintenance culture within the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). If unaddressed, such incidents could lead to tragic outcomes in the future — a risk that cannot be ignored;

"Aware that this latest derailment is not an isolated occurrence, as the Ujevwu–Itakpe Standard Gauge Rail Line has recorded a troubling series of derailments, service suspensions, and acts of vandalism in recent years, including: January 22, 2023: Derailment near Kogi State involving over 140 passengers, leading to a temporary shutdown of operations; April 2023: Temporary service suspension following track instability near Agbor, Delta State; December 2023: Vandalisation of rail clips and fasteners around Agbarho resulting in significant operational delays; May 2024: Reported derailment around Owa-Alero, Edo State, which further disrupted service;
July 2024: Derailment near Ujevwu, Delta State, involving several coaches; while no injuries were reported, the service was suspended for two days; August 2024: Service disruption caused by mechanical faults and vandalised signaling cables between Itakpe and Uromi; December 23, 2024: “Minor” derailment at Okpara Station in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, leading to the suspension of operations; April 9, 2025: Line suspended for 72 hours following multiple engine failures that disrupted movement in both Ujevwu–Itakpe directions;
May 12, 2025: Track vandalisation reported near Agbarho (Ughelli North, Delta State), where rail clips were removed, raising serious safety concerns; and July 15-16, 2025: The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) suspended train operations on the corridor citing “technical challenges.”

"These persistent failures reveal a systemic pattern of neglect that now threatens public safety and national infrastructure investment.

"Further concerned that repeated acts of vandalism including theft of rail clips, fasteners, and signalling equipment have been reported along the corridor, compromising track integrity and increasing derailment risk;

"Observes that the Ujevwu–Itakpe corridor currently operates only one daily passenger service in each direction, carrying hundreds of passengers. Yet, the route remains overstretched, under-maintained, and exposed to security threats due to insufficient surveillance and delayed technical inspections;

"Acknowledges that while the Federal Government and the NRC have invested significantly in rail infrastructure, the absence of independent technical audits, weak safety enforcement, and a lack of real-time monitoring have limited operational reliability and passenger confidence;

"Deeply concerned that though the feasibility studies and design works for the extension of the Ujevwu–Itakpe line to Abuja have already been completed, implementation has stalled for years, forcing passengers to still travel over four hours by road from Itakpe to Abuja, thereby defeating the corridor’s full economic potential and increasing travel hardship;

"Believes that extending the line to Abuja and modernising its infrastructure will not only promote economic integration between the South-South and North-Central regions but also reduce road traffic fatalities, boost trade efficiency, and enhance Nigeria’s overall transport resilience."

Supporting the motion, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central) lamented the scale of the failures, describing them as “a national embarrassment that speaks volumes about the inefficiency of those managing the rail sector.” 

Ningi who noted that the government had borrowed huge sums to build the railway lines under the previous administration, yet the projects were already collapsing within a short time, said, “This is not about politics. The government borrowed billions of dollars to construct these lines, yet they are failing barely two years after completion. 

“We cannot continue to waste public funds and endanger lives because of negligence and mismanagement. Those responsible must be held to account.”

On his part, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, Imo North who  supported the motion and called for a total reorganisation of the NRC, argued that the corporation had failed to live up to its mandate and needed urgent reform. 

According to him, Nigeria cannot achieve an efficient and safe transport system when a key agency like the NRC operates below acceptable standards.

He said, “We should reorganise the NRC completely. The agency is no longer functioning as it should. Our roads are deteriorating because freight that should move by rail is being moved by road. If we fix the rail system, it will decongest the highways, reduce accidents, and save lives.”

In his contribution, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, APC, Ogun West who  noted that  the repeated failures of the Itakpe–Warri line demanded transparency and accountability, however urged the Senate to find out exactly how much was borrowed and spent on the project, who handled the contracts, and whether due process was followed. 

He noted that the recurring mechanical and technical faults might be the result of substandard work or poor supervision during construction.

Contributing to the discussion, Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West) said the problem with Nigeria’s railway projects lay in poor project conception and weak maintenance culture.

He said,  “From design to execution, our approach to project management is very poor. The same contractors who built other railways across Africa have delivered quality systems that are still running efficiently. Why is ours collapsing so soon after commissioning?”

Hussaini added that the poor state of the railways had also worsened the condition of Nigerian roads, as the bulk of cargo and freight that should move by train continues to be transported on highways, causing rapid deterioration. 

He said, “This is why our roads are failing. If the rail lines were working, heavy goods would not need to move by road. We are now paying for inefficiency in one sector by overburdening another.”

Other senators who spoke during the debate emphasised the need to extend the probe to all railway projects executed during the Buhari administration. 

They said it was important to determine whether the derailments and mechanical breakdowns were isolated to the Itakpe–Warri corridor or reflected a wider pattern of substandard implementation in Nigeria’s railway sector.