29
Jan
Jan
SENATE INITIATES PROBE INTO NIGERIA’S RAILWAY CONTRACTS AMID SERVICE CONCERNS
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Caroline Ameh / 6 days
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- 1 min read
.The Nigerian Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate railway contracts and the execution of rail projects nationwide, following mounting concerns over declining services on major routes. The decision came after Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) raised a point of order under Order 42, highlighting what he called the “tragic situation” on the Kano–Kaduna rail line. He noted that train frequency had dropped to one trip per day, while cargo transport time had increased from about 90 minutes to nearly three hours. Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) attributed part of the decline to damage from bandit attacks along the railway corridor. Responding to the issue, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said funding was not the primary problem. Instead, he pointed to the age and quality of the rail infrastructure, describing some sections as substandard. Akpabio stressed that a legislative investigation was necessary to review how railway contracts are awarded, executed, and maintained. The probe will cover project design, funding allocations, execution standards, and maintenance practices, with the goal of improving efficiency and reliability across Nigeria’s rail network.
