The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, on Friday, 19 September 2025, met with staff of the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) at Idu Station to present key takeaways from the in-house investigation into the 26th August derailment, review recovery and restoration progress, and outline plans for safe recommencement of services.
The session opened with prayers by Chief Imaan, Engineer Gaffi, and Pastor Joseph. Dr. Opeifa thanked the Almighty God for the preservation of lives during the incident and commended AKTS personnel for their coordination throughout the emergency.
Reinforcing the investigation’s safety emphasis, the MD urged strict adherence to operational directives—especially caution orders—and announced a mandatory four-day refresher training for all AKTS staff beginning Monday, 22nd September 2025, ahead of service resumption.
On welfare, Dr. Opeifa reaffirmed that the approved 95% salary increase will be implemented before year-end and cautioned locomotive drivers against issuing strike notices to management, noting the disruption such actions cause to national service delivery.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR), Comrade Kazeem, on behalf of staff, appreciated the MD for approving weekend incentives for AKTS personnel who work on weekends.
The MD was accompanied by Directors from Civil Engineering, Corporate Planning, and Mechanical. The event ended with a group photograph with the AKTS Management Team, underscoring unity of purpose and renewed commitment to safe, reliable service delivery.
