NRC commences training for AKTS Staff ahead of service resumption

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Monday commenced training for staff members of the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) at Idu Station, Abuja, as part of preparations for the resumption of operations on the corridor.

The training fulfills an earlier promise by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, to ensure staff are adequately prepared before services resume. It is scheduled to last four days, from Monday through Thursday, and includes three days of real-life onboard operations training covering different real-life operational scenarios.

Those in attendance included Dr. Zang James, Director of Corporate Planning, who represented the MD; Mr. Paschal Nnorli, Liaison Officer, representing the Director of Human Resources; Engr. Adesegud M. Ogunade, Deputy Director CE/NE; Mr. Adediran Adedamola, Deputy Director Health and Safety; Engr. Monday Adejo, Assistant Director (Mechanical); Mr. Abdulasisi Mohammed, Operations Manager, AKTS; alongside all Heads of Departments on the corridor.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Nnorli appreciated the management’s initiative in organizing the programme, noting that the training was designed to refresh staff capacity and strengthen efficient train operations. He stressed that learning is continuous, urging staff to be attentive, uphold discipline, and work as a team, warning that management would take breaches seriously.

Mr. Adediran anchored a session on safety, teaching staff how to identify hazards, conduct risk assessments, and apply controls. He emphasized that responsibility for safe practices rests with every staff member; Engr. Ogunade took participants through rules and specifications, underscoring that adherence to handbooks, integrity, and professionalism are essential for smooth railway operations.

Dr. Zang, speaking on behalf of the MD, reiterated the importance of safe work practices and urged staff to take their jobs seriously. He announced that subsequent sessions would be conducted department by department to deepen the learning process.

The training ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Engr. Monday Adejo, who commended management for its commitment to staff development and assured that the lessons learned would translate into safer, hitch-free train operations.