Nigerian Railway Corporation Made A Whooping N1.08 Billion In Three Months

The significant rise in passenger traffic also occurred at a period insecurity rose on road transport in Nigeria, with bandits killing and kidnapping motorists.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) made a whooping N1.08 billion in three months as more Nigerians turn to train transport amid rising security in the country. The amount was generated in the second quarter, which falls between April to June. During this period, a total number of 565,385 passengers was recorded by NRC.

It was gathered that the railway traffic rise rose by 422.3% when the second quarter of both last year (108,238 passengers) and 2021 are compared - this means 457,147 passengers switched to railway transport within one year.

The 422.3% rise in passenger traffic pushed NRC revenue to N1.08 billion in Q2 this year, against the N320.34 million generated during the corresponding period of Q2 2020.

The increase in revenue generation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation occurred after the country lifted the lockdown induced by COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Nigeria's lockdown had disrupted movements across Nigeria for over four months, with the NRC also announcing that railway services had been suspended during the pandemic. The suspension affected the revenue of NRC in 2020, but with operation starting on a clean slate this year without interruption, its turnover rose from N892.47 million in Q1 2021 to N1.08 billion in Q2 same year.

Nigerians avoiding bandits road attack favour train for their interstate travel. According to Gabriel Alabi, who recently got back from Osun State, he said railway had been a better option for him even though expensive. "I travelled with train to Osun State from Lagos to avoid deadly attack on the road. The road journey is not as safe as it use to be, and nobody wants to be kidnapped, even those travelling to the North."