Livestock Ministry: Cattle Transport by Rail to Resume Soon – NRC

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) announced that the movement of cattle from northern Nigeria to the southern region will soon resume.

Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria, disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday.

This announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s creation of a new ministry for livestock development.

Okhiria stated that the transport of cows and other goods would restart on the Warri-Itakpe route. The NRC had suspended cattle transport by train in 2017 due to technical issues.

However, Okhiria confirmed that within one or two months, herders will be able to move their cattle on the Warri-Itakpe train services. Itakpe is located in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, while Warri is in Delta State, South-South Nigeria.

The NRC plans to modernize goods movement in the country, facilitating transport by rail from the north to the South-South region. Okhiria mentioned that new wagons designed for livestock transport are being assembled in Kajola, Oyo State.

“We’ve built 15 wagons for livestock, and in the next month or two, they will be deployed from Itakpe to Warri to boost the economy,” he added.

Okhiria emphasized that railway investments should focus on social and economic benefits rather than direct profit in naira and kobo. The indirect economic gains would benefit the broader economy.

He concluded that investing in rail infrastructure aims to enhance public welfare and create a robust and vibrant economy.