A total of 803 companies have reportedly submitted bids for various contracts with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for the fiscal year 2025.
The NRC disclosed the names of the firms that applied during the bid opening event held at its headquarters in Lagos.
This figure represents an increase from the 524 firms that submitted applications in 2024.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, attributed the rise in bidders to the confidence instilled by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Represented by the Director of Medical Services, Albert Asowata, the MD noted that the new NRC management has initiated programs aimed at expanding the railway network across the nation.
Naija News understands that the NRC received an allocation of ₦39,180,078,449 in the 2025 budget approved by President Bola Tinubu.
This budget includes funding for the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway project, the Lagos-Ibadan railway, and associated additional works, as outlined in the 2025 Appropriation Bill recently presented to the National Assembly by President Tinubu.
Additional projects funded in the budget encompass the rehabilitation of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Line, the construction of 12 station buildings, track laying works at Railway Ancillary Facilities Areas in Agbor, the completion of Addendum 2A, and the design, manufacture, supply, and installation of rolling stock, spare parts, and maintenance equipment for the ongoing railway modernization project.
“Our scope has been expanded. There are many programs the MD has launched. One of such programmes is the railing with the states. All the State governments are now keying into railways.
“Just three days ago, the federal government said that the Kano-Maradi rail line will be completed in 2026.
“That shows that there is renewed vigour and hope to expand the rail industry, to move the country forward,” Opeifa said.
He also assured all the bidders that the bid opening ceremony will be conducted in an unbiased, transparent and efficient manner by a well-trained team.
“The critical areas that we are looking at for this fiscal year are on wash-out in civil works, bridges and culverts.
“This is because most of the tracks are already washed out by heavy rains. We are trying to ensure that all the wash-outs are taken care of,” the NRC MD added.
Naija News understands that the bidding process was attended by independent observers, including the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), the Nigerian Network of NGOs, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, and the Chartered Institute for Purchasing and Supply Management, among others.