NRC MD Dr. Kayode Opeifa Warns Against Railway Vandalism: “These Are National Assets, Not Scrap”

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has issued a strong warning to Nigerians against vandalizing railway infrastructure, stressing that these are invaluable national assets critical to the country’s cohesion and economic growth.

In an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s “Hard Copy” program on Saturday, Dr. Opeifa explained that the railway system serves a deeper purpose beyond transportation—it is a unifying thread among Nigeria’s many cultural and ethnic groups.

“We don’t have scraps in the Nigerian railway; we have national assets,” he declared, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between discarded waste and the functioning infrastructure that supports national integration.

Dr. Opeifa recounted his experience at a conference in South Africa, where he was surprised to find cable theft also occurs, but pointed out that in Nigeria, steel components are stolen and treated as scrap. “What do they steal here? They steal the steel and they call it scrap,” he said.

He elaborated on the cultural significance of the railway, describing how it connects people who speak Yoruba, Nupe, Hausa, Igbo, Fufude, Calabar, Edo, Hebrew, Tiv, and Kanuri across the country. “Those are the assets that link our people by culture, by religion, by tribe to each other,” he said.

Vandalism, according to Dr. Opeifa, is an assault on the very heart of Nigeria’s identity. “Anybody vandalising them is like going to the heart of our people, the integration that binds us together,” he lamented.

He appealed to local communities along railway corridors to take ownership and protect these vital assets, noting that railways often catalyze urban development. “Every part the railway passes through becomes a major city so it is in the interest of the locals too to make sure the railway survives,” he added.

While not revealing specific security strategies, Dr. Opeifa acknowledged ongoing efforts and called for sustained community support to combat vandalism.