By Jelili Gbadamosi
President Bola Tinubu has approved the acquisition of surveillance equipment across the country’s railway network as part of efforts to curb banditry, kidnapping and vandalism targeting rail infrastructure.
The approval also covers the purchase of additional train coaches to expand passenger and freight capacity, according to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi.
Adebiyi disclosed this on Saturday during an inspection of the Kano-Maradi railway project, where he said the government was taking steps to improve railway security and operational efficiency.
He explained that attacks on railway infrastructure remained a major challenge, disrupting services, threatening passengers’ lives and increasing maintenance costs.
The Abuja-Kaduna railway corridor was cited as an example of the security challenges confronting train operations in the country.
Adebiyi said the ministry was working to ensure the timely acquisition and deployment of the approved surveillance equipment across the railway network.
He added that railway workers were undergoing training to prepare them for the operation and maintenance of the additional coaches once they were delivered.
The permanent secretary was accompanied on the inspection by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Transportation and Mobility, Prince Adetokunbo Ademola Ade-John, and other government officials.
During the visit, the delegation also inspected the casting of a bridge beam along the Kano-Maradi railway corridor.
The government’s latest move is aimed at improving the safety of railway operations while expanding the capacity of the country’s rail transport system.
