The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, has shed more light on why the federal government is keen on completing the Kano-Maradi Railway project.
According to him, the government is linking Nigeria to Niger Republic as part of efforts to ensure food security in the country.
Speaking on Saturday during an interview appearance on Channels Television, Opeifa said the Kano-Maradi railway line is a link that will guarantee food supply chain to Nigeria.
He said the food security for Nigeria and West Africa in cereal and livestock is tied to Maradi, and once the link is completed to Kano, movement to other parts of Nigeria would be easier.
“According to AU 2063, African countries are encouraged to link with landlocked countries because there is potential in those countries. By the way, from the literature I’ve read, the food security for Nigeria and West Africa in cereal and livestock is tied to Maradi. So, you can see the reasoning linking Kano to Maradi.
“Beyond that, if you take mobility out of the equation, you won’t have food security. When you take mobility out of logistics and supply chain, you are just joking, and that’s what Nigerian managers of our food security should understand.”
“Mobility is at the center of food security, and that’s what the Kano-Maradi, which will now be Kano to Kaduna, Kaduna to Abuja, Abuja to Lagos, will represent,” the NRC boss noted.
He said most people don’t understand the need to solve the mobility problem in food security, but are only suspicious about the mention of Maradi, which is in another country.
He said, “Now, the government is also aggressively pursuing. The Kano-Maradi, a lot of people don’t understand what that really is; what they hear is Maradi.”
Speaking further, Naijaonpoint reports Opeifa reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring major cities are connected through a new infrastructure map of rail by introducing new rail lines across cities.
He added that with the movement of the rail system to the concurrent list, opportunities have been created for states to get grants to develop their rail lines.