Key questions this article answers:
1. What does Nigeria’s new law on railway development help states achieve?
2. What obstacles must states overcome to own and operate rail lines in Nigeria?
Great news can be scarce in Nigeria.
But a few weeks ago, President Buhari hit us with a few. He put the final authorisation on several amendments to Nigeria’s constitution, including moving railways from the exclusive legislative to the concurrent list.
The move means state governments can now deliberate on laws and policies to own and operate rail infrastructure across different states.
Previously, only the federal government could do so. For instance, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) built and manages Lagos-Ibadan or Abuja-Kaduna rail lines, showing how the Federal Government (FG) wields its exclusive rights to railway infrastructure.
With state governments now able to control railway ownership and operations, the reaction has been positive—state governments are excited. In the
