The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) generated ₦1.95 billion in passenger revenue in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, representing a 37.36 percent increase from the ₦1.42 billion recorded in the same period of 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The data, released in the NBS Rail Transportation Report on October 5, showed steady growth in rail patronage across the country. Between January and March 2025, a total of 929,553 passengers travelled by train, marking a 37.65 percent rise compared to 675,293 passengers transported in Q1 2024.
Similarly, the volume of goods and cargo conveyed by rail climbed to 181,520 tons in Q1 2025, up from 160,650 tons in the corresponding period of 2024. Revenue from freight operations also increased by 8.19 percent to ₦657.03 million, compared to ₦607.32 million in the same quarter of the previous year.
The report further revealed a sharp rise in other receipts — which include income from services such as leasing, station fees, and sundry charges — amounting to ₦115.68 million, a 355.39 percent jump from ₦25.40 million in Q1 2024.
For comparison, the NBS noted that in Q4 2024, the rail system transported 1,037,113 passengers, reflecting a 54.29 percent increase from 672,198 in Q4 2023. Passenger revenue during that quarter stood at ₦1.92 billion, up from ₦1.07 billion in Q4 2023.
However, freight revenue in Q4 2024 declined slightly by 7.46 percent, from ₦423.22 million in Q4 2023 to ₦391.64 million, while ₦8.93 million was realized from transporting 1,260 tons of goods through pipelines in the same period.
Meanwhile, other receipts for Q4 2024 rose to ₦434.44 million, representing a 10.34 percent increase from ₦393.72 million recorded in Q4 2023.
According to the NBS, the consistent rise in passenger traffic and earnings reflects growing public confidence in Nigeria’s rail transport system, driven by continuous investments in rail infrastructure and service expansion by the NRC.
