BY BAMIDELE FAMOOFO
The state of insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation has taken a negative toll on its rail transportation with revenue from the sector declining by 63.02 percent in the first quarter of 2023 to N768.44 million.
Revenue realised in the rail transportation sector in the last quarter of 2022 stood at N2.08 billion, according to figures sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics in June.
Similarly, N181.27 million was collected in Q1 2023 as revenue from goods/cargos, up by 99.28 percent from N90.96 million received in Q1 2022.
In addition, other receipts amounted to N34.17 million, indicating a decline of 41.02 percent in Q1 2023, from the N57.92 million collected in Q1 2022.
The rail transportation data for Q1 2023 showed that a total of 441,725 passengers travelled via the rail system in Q1 2023, lower than the 953,099 reported in the corresponding quarter of 2022, representing a drop of -53.65 percent. In addition, 59,966 tons of goods were transported in Q1 2023, compared to 39,379 tons reported in Q1 2022.
Train attacks in the country in recent times have forced Nigerians who patronize the transportation system to run for safety while the Nigerian Railway Corporation has also closed services in certain routes in the country.
In February 2022, gunmen invaded the Ajaokuta train station, kidnapped 10 people and killed one person. The attack forced the Nigerian Railway Corporation which regulates train services in the country, to suspend Lagos-Ibadan and Ajaokuta train services.
The Itakpe-Warri train attack occurred barely 10 months after the Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked.
