Nigeria’s ambitious rail modernization drive, built on more than $7.3 billion in borrowed investments, is facing mounting questions over safety and sustainability following a spate of derailments, escalating vandalism, and persistent maintenance concerns.

This comes as the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) yesterday suspended rail services between Abuja and Kaduna after a derailment, which brings to 188, similar incidents between 2019 and 2025 and left many passengers stranded and six people critically injured.

Notwithstanding the deployment of medical, security and emergency services, victims and stakeholders yesterday raised questions about maintenance of the country’s rail infrastructure, insisting that the nation requires a more holistic approach in dealing with national infrastructure.

Despite paying private security services about N1 billion to safeguard the lines, especially the Abuja-Kaduna axis, NRC confirmed that between 2022 and 2023 alone, more than 150,000 rail clips were stolen nationwide by vandals.

Of this figure, over 50,000 were taken from the Lagos–Ibadan standard gauge line, another 50,000 from the Warri–Itakpe corridor, and a further 50,000 from the Abuja–Kaduna line. In Mushin–Oshodi, Lagos, vandals removed more than 200 clips in a single incident, forcing emergency repairs within days.

The wave of sabotage comes against the backdrop of 188 derailments in the last five years, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics and incident reports.

Since 2016, Nigeria has pinned its transport modernisation hopes on a network of standard-gauge railways financed largely through loans from the China Exim Bank and executed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

The Lagos–Ibadan line, inaugurated in 2021, cost about $2.6 billion. The Abuja–Kaduna rail, commissioned in 2016, cost $874 million, equivalent to $4.7 million per kilometre.

The Itakpe–Abuja extension, including the Warri port link, was contracted in 2019 at $3.9 billion. Together, these projects account for more than $7.3 billion in expenditure, much of it financed by loans that Nigeria continues to service amid growing debt pressures.

The National Bureau of Statistics recorded 183 derailments between 2020 and 2022 alone, with 57 incidents in 2020, 61 in 2021, and 65 in 2022. Beyond the statistics, several high-profile derailments have shaken public confidence. In January 2019, a Lagos-bound mass transit train derailed at Ashade, killing one passenger. In May 2024, a Kaduna-bound train derailed near Jere, disrupting services for days. Barely a month later, in June 2024, another Abuja–Kaduna passenger train left the tracks, with three coaches tumbling in a viral video. And in August, a Lagos–Ibadan freight service suffered a similar fate, sparking renewed debate about track quality.

The most recent derailment occurred yesterday when an Abuja–Kaduna service derailed at kilometre 49 between Kubwa and Asham station.

Although no fatalities were recorded, seven passengers sustained injuries and hundreds were left stranded.

AS a result of the accident, the Nigerian Railway Corporation suspended operations on the route as its Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, confirmed that emergency medical teams, security personnel, and nearby hospitals had been mobilized.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau also deployed a “go-team” of investigators to establish causes and recommend preventive measures.

Its Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr, pledged a transparent investigation, stressing that the Bureau’s commitment was to ensure safer rail transport for Nigerians through an independent probe.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), backed by the military, police, immigration, and civil defence corps, coordinated rescue efforts, evacuating stranded passengers and administering first aid.

Kaduna State’s governor, Uba Sani, also activated state emergency services, ordering medical and psychological support for victims. Despite this coordinated response, many passengers and observers argue that the government is being reactive rather than proactive.

Former National Assembly member Shehu Sani described the incident as the direct result of negligence by authorities. He noted that passengers had for months complained about wobbling tracks but were ignored.

“The Abuja–Kaduna train that derailed today is a direct result of negligence. For months, passengers have complained about the wobbling tracks but were ignored,” he said.

Another commuter advocate, posting under the handle @stepheninspiration, called for investment in fencing, barriers, CCTV, and patrols along high-risk corridors, arguing that derailments were both predictable and preventable.

The derailment also raises uncomfortable questions about the effectiveness of multi-million-naira security contracts.

In August 2022, the Federal Executive Council approved more than N718 million for securing the Abuja–Kaduna corridor. Al-Ahali Security Guards Limited received over N407 million to secure 27.4 kilometres of track and eight stations over two years.

Seaguard Security and Protective Company Limited was awarded about N310 million to protect 18 kilometres and four stations over the same period.

Yet three years later, vandalism on the line continues unabated.

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department this week warned that the NRC must do more in terms of maintenance and security.

Some rail experts, while speaking with The Guardian, said the core issue extends beyond vandalism to systemic neglect of maintenance. Managing Director of Jeerea Rail Nigeria, James Akpoviroro, insisted that railways were not like roads, where repairs could be done intermittently.

According to him, railway maintenance is a daily activity, not a one-off task, and tracks should be patrolled every seventy-two hours, divided into sections with staff on shifts around the clock. Every fault must be documented and repaired promptly, he explained, but instead, he pointed to cases where carriages detached while moving as clear evidence of poor maintenance.

“Railways are not like roads. Maintenance is a daily activity, not a one-off task. Tracks should be patrolled every 72 hours, divided into sections with staff on shifts around the clock. Every fault must be documented and repaired promptly. But here, a carriage recently detached while moving, clear evidence of poor maintenance,” he said.

A railway user, Usman Marino, also raised concerns over a growing sense of disillusionment when he wrote on social media that a disaster was waiting to happen.

According to him, the NRC’s maintenance vehicle had been down for months, leaving tracks unattended, and wobbling on journeys had become excessive due to neglect.

Experts note that derailments often stem from minor alignment issues, misaligned track geometry, loose clips, or eroded ballast that accumulate when regular inspections are skipped.

President of the Nigerian Economic Society, Professor Adeola Adenikinju, explained that maintenance was essential but that security challenges must also be tackled through technology.

He argued that drones and aerial surveillance could be deployed to monitor tracks in real time, just as is done with oil pipelines. Relying solely on security personnel would never work, given the vast terrain, he said.

Public confidence, he added, was at stake because without safety, people would be discouraged from using trains. He insisted that the government must invest to assure passengers that their lives were safe and that they would not face kidnapping risks, stressing that confidence was the key to sustaining rail travel in Nigeria.

“Maintenance is absolutely essential. But beyond that, Nigeria needs to address derailments and security challenges with technology. Drones and aerial surveillance could monitor tracks in real time, just as is done with oil pipelines. Relying solely on security personnel won’t work, given the vast terrain,” Adenikinju said. (The Guardian)