FG Announces Free Train Services Nationwide for Christmas and New Year Celebrations

The Federal Government has announced that train services will be free nationwide from December 20, 2024, to January 5, 2025, in celebration of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

This decision was one of the outcomes of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Monday. Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, disclosed this while speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, as reported by Channels Television.

Although the announcement was made, an official press statement with more details from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation is still awaited.

According to Channels TV, “President Bola Tinubu has approved free transportation nationwide ahead of the Christmas celebration.”

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Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, confirmed the initiative via his official X (formerly Twitter) account. He mentioned that the President had approved free transportation services during this period. Bwala added that a similar initiative was carried out last year during the festive period, though no further details have been provided on the specific nature of these services.

Additional Context

This announcement builds on a previous statement from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) regarding special train services for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. However, the NRC has yet to release specific details about these services.

The free train service initiative follows a similar program implemented in 2023, designed to reduce the financial burden of festive travel for Nigerians. That year, all rail services were made free from December 21, 2023, through January 4, 2024, with the period later extended until January 7, 2024.

The 2024 free train services aim to follow a similar approach by offering Nigerians affordable and convenient transportation options during the holiday season.