The Minister Of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali has called on Chinese and foreign investors to invest in Nigeria’s railway infrastructure.
He added that the areas they can invested in include: power supply schemes, integrated security solutions, and real-time monitoring systems to secure the corridors and ensure reliable service delivery.
Speaking at the 16th International Infrastructure Investment And Construction Forum (IIICF), in Macao, China, the minister said China has been a trusted friend and partner, saying Nigeria looks forward to deeper collaboration that builds not just railways, but bridges of opportunity, peace, and shared progress.
Alkali noted that Nigeria has also embraced sustainability in its railway development strategy and are retrofitting locomotives to accommodate hybrid propulsion systems powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The minister in a statement Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Umar Jibril, noted that infrastructure was not just about tracks and trains.
Alkali added: “For our railway system to function optimally, there is a need for investments in dedicated power supply schemes, integrated security solutions, and real-time monitoring systems to secure the corridors and ensure reliable service delivery. These are areas ripe for private sector participation and public-private partnerships.
“China has been a trusted friend and partner, and we look forward to deeper collaboration that builds not just railways, but bridges of opportunity, peace, and shared progress.
“I invite global investors, financiers, and infrastructure developers here to consider Nigeria not merely as a market, but as a strategic hub for African regional connectivity, a country that believes in partnerships that empower and transform.
“Together, through enhanced connectivity and win-win cooperation, we can build a future where our railways and other modes of land transport carry not just goods and people, but also the promise of a prosperous tomorrow.”
The minister emphasised that the theme of this year’s Forum was apt, as nations around the world increasingly realised that no economy thrives in isolation.
Alkali stressed that the critical role of connectivity in transportation infrastructure, especially railway systems — cannot be over emphasised.
“At the heart of this connectivity is cooperation. A cooperation that must be mutual. A cooperation that must be strategic. A cooperation that, in the words of this year’s theme, must be on win-win approach.”