NRC to Start Rail Transport of Cattle

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced plans to soon begin transporting cattle by rail from the northern to the southern regions of the country. This was disclosed by NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.

Okhiria revealed that cattle and goods transportation will resume on the Warri-Itakpe route, which had been suspended in 2017 due to technical challenges.

The service is expected to restart within the next one to two months, facilitating the movement of livestock from Itakpe in Kogi State to Warri in Delta State. This initiative aims to modernize the transportation of goods in Nigeria.

To support this effort, the NRC has acquired specialized wagons for livestock transport, which are currently being assembled at the Kajola facility in Oyo State. “We’ve built 15 wagons for livestock, and in the next month or two, they will be deployed from Itakpe to Warri to boost the economy,” Okhiria stated.

He emphasized that the primary goal of developing transportation infrastructure is not immediate financial profit but the indirect economic benefits that come from improved connectivity and goods movement.

Additionally, President Bola Tinubu recently announced plans for a new ministry dedicated to livestock development, further underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing this sector.