Business
NUR Wants Buhari To Improve Rail Transportation System
The Nigerian Railway
Corporation workers, under the aegis of National Union of Railway Workers (NUR), have tasked the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) on the need to address the fate of the rail transport industry with a view to furthering the on-going asset rehabilitation and modernisation of the sector.
The President-General of NUR, Comrade Raphael Okoro, gave the task in a statement made available to journalists in Lagos recently.
Okoro said the president-elect should ensure that Nigerians get the best from the railway transport system, expressing optimism that Buhari would further improve and develop the Nigerian railway transportation system to meet global best practices.
Accoridng to him, “considering his unbending patriotism and quest for national development, I am confident and hopeful that Nigerian railway will fare considerably better under the administration of General Buhari.
“What it takes to take Nigeria to higher level of national development and stronger integration is a functional and effective rail transport system. I strongly believe that what determines the extent a country like Nigeria can go in terms of development is its commitment to attaining rail infrastructural proficiency.”
Okoro appealed to the president-elect to come to the aid of the railway workers whom he said are workers most poorly paid and remunerated.
He said the welfare of the railway workers and their remuneration should be of great concern to the president-elect so as to attract skilled and employable Nigerians to the industry and eventually make railway the highest employer of labour it used to be in its hey days.
“Over the years, the federal government has spent several billions of naira on the asset rehabilitation and re-equipping of Nigerian Railway without any impact on the welfare and livability of the workers,” the NUR boss opined.
The comrade further described that the workers who put all these multi-billion equipment to use still suffer poor remuneration and welfare, and also called on General Buhari not to lose sight of the welfare and better condition of service for the railway workers.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.