The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has urged stronger collaboration between state governments and the railway police command to safeguard rail infrastructure nationwide.

Managing Director Kayode Opeifa said in Lagos at the weekend the railway police command operates across 26 states and urged governments to recognise the unit as part of their security architecture. He stressed that protecting rail infrastructure was closely linked to securing the country’s mobility corridors.

According to him, the railway is a critical national asset that cuts across many states and supports national development. Drawing from his experience as former Lagos commissioner, Opeifa recalled how the police assisted the state government during the clean-up of Oshodi.

He said the operation demonstrated the importance of inter-agency cooperation in protecting public assets. “The history of the Nigerian Railway Corporation is the history of Nigeria itself, and the issues confronting the railway reflect broader national challenges,” he said.

Opeifa said the modern overhaul of Nigeria’s rail system began in 2015 with the introduction of standard gauge lines. He credited the Muhammadu Buhari government with inaugurating projects including the Abuja–Kaduna Railway, Warri–Itakpe Railway and Lagos–Ibadan Railway.

He added that the government also initiated the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Rail Corridor and the Abuja Rail Mass Transit. Opeifa noted that moving railway from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List enabled states such as Lagos, Kano, Ogun and Plateau to participate in rail development.