The South-West Development Commission has clarified that its rail license is for operations on existing rail tracks, not for the construction of new ones in the South-West.
The SWDC, in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the management team, said the clarification followed interpretations that the license was approval to build new rail tracks across the region.
Last week, the managing director/chief executive officer of SWDC, Charles Akinola, announced that the commission had secured a provisional rail operating and track access license from the Nigerian Railway Corporation, paving the way for SWDC-led passenger and freight rail services across existing rail corridors in the South-West.
Akinola explained that the license was not for the construction of new rail lines but for operating passenger and freight services on existing rail corridors linking communities, businesses, industrial hubs, and economic centers across the Southwest.
While acknowledging the public interest and excitement that greeted the grant of the provisional license, the commission stressed on Tuesday that it was only authorised to operate passenger and freight rail services on existing rail tracks.
The statement read, “The South-West Development Commission acknowledges the public interest and excitement following the grant of a provisional license to operate passenger and freight rail services in the South-West.
“We note that the license has been misconstrued in some quarters as authorisation to construct new rail infrastructure. This is incorrect.
“The provisional rail operating and track access license issued by the Nigerian Railway Corporation authorises SWDC to provide services on existing narrow and standard gauge rail corridors in the region. The license does not extend to the construction of new rail tracks.”
The commission emphasised that the latest development would form the foundation of the South-West Rail, Agro-Industrial, and Logistics platform.
It noted that the SW-RAIL platform was designed to “optimise existing infrastructure to cut transportation costs, improve logistics efficiency, strengthen agro-industrial development, enhance passenger mobility, and create jobs across the region.”
The commission promised further updates on the project and urged members of the public to rely on official SWDC channels for authoritative information on its programmes and projects.
The SWDC is a federal agency established in September 2025 to drive infrastructure development, economic growth, and poverty reduction across the six southwest states.
Headquartered in Ibadan, it serves as a regional catalyst coordinating development and infrastructure projects.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
