Nigeria’s Railway System Plagued by a Crisis of Theft – NSIB

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BY ANTHONY OMOH

A major threat has been revealed for Nigeria’s railway system. Captain Alex Badeh Jr. stated the primary problem for the railway is widespread theft. People are stealing metal from the tracks. He said the theft directly impacts the entire railway system. NSIB Railway Safety Regulations

Badeh jnr said this during a recent virtual meeting where he explained how the NSIB is interrelating with other modes of transportation.

He confirmed the NSIB has investigated past rail incidents. “We investigated the one in Lagos,” he said. “That was investigated.” They also investigated a derailment. It was on the railway system on the way to Kaduna. “We went to the other one that got derailed.”

He described that incident’s cause as “very simple.” It was “people pilfering” from the railway system. People are stealing metal from our train tracks right now,” Captain Badeh stated.

“That’s the major issue right now.” He pointed to the “vandalizing and stealing metal” as the main cause of concern for the railway system. NSIB Rail Investigation

The NSIB has expanded its mandate. It now includes all modes of transport. The agency is focusing on safety for the railway system. Badeh confirmed that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is cooperating. The Ministry of Transportation is also cooperating with the NSIB on the railway system.

“The railways managing director, he’s signaled his intention to cooperate with us,” Badeh said. He wants to help improve the railway system. “And the Minister of Transport as well.”

The cooperation is crucial for the NSIB’s mission for the railway system. “We will be getting a few people seconded there from the NRC,” Badeh explained. This will help build internal expertise.

The NSIB is also training its own staff. “We’re training our own people as well in-house,” he noted. The goal is to cross-train investigators.

“We’re going to train them and cross-train some of our investigators as well with the NRC.” He also mentioned the Abuja Metro line, another part of the railway system.

Building a Foundation for the Railway Safety

Badeh acknowledged that the NSIB is starting from scratch. They need proper documentation. “The first thing is you need regulation.

You need the book,” he said. “You need the Bible to work on and build on.” He emphasized the need for regulations. The NSIB is in a “work in progress” phase for the railway system.

The NSIB aims to be the leading authority. They want to lead in rail safety investigation. “We talk about collaboration. We want to collaborate with everybody,” he said. This includes the railway police.

They also need to work with regulators. “We need to work with them.” He does not believe a lot of new equipment is needed for the railway system. “I don’t even think there’s that much equipment per se that we need to provide.”

However, he did mention a material science lab. The lab will analyze failures within the railway system. “We have a material science lab,” he said.

“We’re in the process of making it purpose-built.” Badeh believes the right people are more important than equipment. This applies to the entire railway system. “It’s just finding the right people.”

Data and Investigation on the Railway System

The NSIB DG sees the need for more data. This is for the entire railway system. “I’m looking more at generating data,” he stated. He noted that the railway system is a “very small” issue.

“It’s going to grow,” he predicted. “As it grows, we would have a better appreciation for the NSIB in this.” More trains mean more accidents. These will happen on the railway system. “There will be accidents and incidents.”

Past Issues and Future Training 

Badeh addressed a lingering question. The lack of an investigation report was a problem for the railway system. “That actually happened before I joined the NSIB,” he said.

He admitted they were “almost winging it.” This was because of the lack of proper documentation. “We are aviators,” he noted. “Aviation is the most heavily regulated industry.” This mindset was a hindrance. They need to create new regulations for the railway system.

He apologized for the delay in the report’s release. “I do apologize again that that investigation hasn’t come out.” He promised to revisit it.

“We will go back to it.” He will get back to the public on the investigation. “I’ll get back to you on that whole investigation.”

Training is a key part of the solution. “We have training programs already afoot,” he said. Some staff will go to the UK for training. “We’ll send a few people for a real accident investigation course.”

The NSIB also wants to cross-train its investigators. “We’re working on… internally at the NSIB,” he said. They want to create “transport safety investigators.” This will allow them to support various modes.

This includes the entire railway system. “They can support in many other ways,” he said. This includes report writing. “The report writing for the airs… is very good.”

Strong Rail Partnerships 

The NSIB is receiving enthusiastic support. This is for the railway system. “I have to give thumbs up to NIWA and NRC,” Badeh said. He described them as “really enthusiastic.”

He added that they are “willing to work with us now.” The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the NRC are key partners. They will help improve the railway system.

“By and large, the NRC and NIWA are willing to work with us now.” He hopes to get buy-in from all agencies. “We’re still getting form buy from LNASA,” he said. “It’s a work in progress. We’ll get them on board.”