The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced that it will soon resume transportation of cattle from the northern part of the country to the south (Warri-Itakpe route).
The Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria disclosed this on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Wednesday, hours after President Bola Tinubu announced the creation of a new Ministry of Livestock.
Tinubu also inaugurated the Renewed Hope Implementation Committee on Livestock Reform at the State House, Abuja,
Fidet announced the resumption of movement of cows and goods on the Warri-Itakpe road.
In 2017, the NRC stopped train transport of cattle due to technical problems.
However, Okhiria said that in one or two months, herdsmen will be able to move their cattle on the Warri-Itakpe railway line. Itakpe is a city in Kogi State in North Central Nigeria, while Warri is in Delta State in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country.
He said the NRC will modernize the movement of goods in the country “so that when they come from the north by road, they can take them to South South Warri by rail”.
He stated that the NRC aims to modernize the transportation of goods in Nigeria.
Okhiria disclosed that the NRC has acquired special wagons currently being assembled at the Kajola factory in Oyo State, for cattle transportation
“We have built 15 wagons for cattle and maybe in the next month or two they will be sent from Itakpest to Warri to boost the economy,” the NRC boss said.
He added that investing in rail infrastructure should be for the public good and make lives comfortable for the masses to have a robust and vibrant economy rather than focusing on generating profits.
“You are not developing transportation because you want to make a profit in terms of naira and kobo, but the profit will come indirectly if we can move goods and link cities,” he said.
He stated that although the profits may not be directly received by the government, the indirect income nevertheless affects the general growth and development of the economy.