By MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
In realization that maintenance is the controlling factor in the retention of standard, the management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has laid bare its strategy for a sustainable railway modernization system.
Engr. Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), said that there is Service Level Agreement in the railway development and modernization contract in order to guaranty the sustanability of the infrastructure..
“For two to three years the contractor will be on ground, while Nigerians will learn with them, and finally hand over to Nigeria on the maintenance of both the tracks and the rolling stocks.
“The various suppliers of our rolling stocks are around for two years so that we can imbibe the maintenance of the rolling stocks,” Okhiria explained.
The NRC leader disclosed that for any equipment that is being supplied the corporation makes room for Nigerian engineers and technicians to go to site for the whole year to at least do two to six months training on them.
He declared: “Like the rolling stocks we are running now, some of our staff went there to spend three or six months, so that they can learn how to operate them very well. I think that is the way to go.”
To boost manpower development in railway engineering, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is building University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State, Okhiria stated.
According to him, at the same time, some contract for rolling stocks spelt out that some portion must be concluded in Nigeria.
The NRC managing director highlighted the assembling of wagon at Kajola in Ogun State as an example of the fulfillment of the contract.
He assured that the Kajola assembly plant will be concluded on schedule. “That will ensure that Nigerians will be involved in the production of what we’re using,” Okhiria emphasized .
