Sen. Gbenga Ashafa has called for more focus on the rail sector as the quickest and most sustainable solution to the transportation deficit in Nigeria. Decrying plans to close the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport for six weeks, the Senator said the closure is an indication of the importance of rail transport as the safest means of transportation.

“We need to quickly and speedily reinvigorate our Rail Transportation Sector, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Railway Bill, 2016. Basically, the passed bill is a departure from the old order, which shut private investors out of the railway business. The new bill, among other things, seeks to open up the railway business to private investors, and to distinguish the regulator – which is the government – from the operator. I remain a strong believer in the primacy of the railway. It is my belief that the Railways remain a critical infrastructure that will extenuate Nigeria’s motley transportation problems. Hence, I am dedicated to leading the charge for the “revolutionalisation” of the system,” he said.

In 2016, Sen. Ashafa in an essay entitled ‘Time has come to open up our railway to private participation’, emphasized the need to open up the sector as the billions spent on road transport has not yielding the desired results.

“Government after government has invested even more in road expansion projects. The result as can be observed in the case of Lagos and Abuja has been a gradual occupation of the expanded roads with more cars. This is attributable to rural-urban migration as well as population explosion across the nation. Mass transit remains a very pivotal aspect of the development of any city. It plays a critical role in enhancing productivity of the state by ensuring the movement of the largest number of persons from point A to Point B within the shortest possible time. This is why whenever the topic of mass transit is discussed; rail transportation must be given its pride of place.” he said.

Senator Ashafa added that the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has reopened the yawning transport deficit and the need to have functional rail transportation system across Nigeria. Not just functional railways but trains that are as fast and effective as those seen outside Nigeria so that the closure of an airport would not be so impactful.

In his words “The imminent total closure of the second busiest airport in Nigeria has caused unrest for many Nigerians and foreigners going by their outcry. Imagine if we had an effective rail system whereby cities, states and communities are linked. A reliable railway system or a faster train traversing the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, the consequences of the total closure of the Abuja Airport would be minimal and frequent travelers might not feel much pain or discomfort.