In a candid appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, formally accepted full responsibility for Tuesday’s derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train along the Kaduna corridor, underlining that when safety lapses occur, leadership must own up to them .
The derailment, which occurred shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., resulted in no fatalities, though four passengers were seriously injured, with two others treated and discharged the same day. Opeifa emphasized that all 618 passengers aboard would be monitored for post-traumatic effects . While describing the event as regrettable and unexpected, he reassured Nigerians that the NRC would seize the moment to bring out its best in enhancing safety .
Opeifa also noted that the Warri-Itakpe line had been shut down three weeks prior for safety upgrades; he explained that track sections are being replaced to forestall similar incidents in the future . Regarding concerns about sabotage, he cautioned against speculation, pointing out that the corridor is under heavy military surveillance, with both the Air Force and Army swift to respond in the immediate aftermath .
Looking ahead, Opeifa stated that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) will need to formally declare the derailment site safe before reconstruction can begin, after which the NRC plans to conduct a full safety audit. He estimated that, once cleared, repairs could be completed within about 30 days .
In accepting accountability, Opeifa offers not only an apology but a firm commitment to elevate railway safety standards—underscoring that leadership means owning the outcomes, even when things go wrong.
