Nigeria railway retirees face eviction and homelessness

The Association of Nigeria Railway Senior Citizens (ANRSC) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in a dispute regarding the ownership of official quarters. The association reports that over 50,000 former workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) are currently homeless or facing eviction.

ANRSC Chairman Segun Esan alleges that the NRC management has failed to implement the Federal Government’s 2004/2005 Monetization Policy. This policy was designed to allow legal occupants, including retirees, to purchase government quarters on an owner-occupier basis at affordable rates to reduce the state's maintenance burden. Esan noted that while other agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company have implemented the policy, railway workers have reportedly been excluded.

The association further claims that successive NRC managements have allegedly sold railway quarters to third parties and leased them at high rates while evicting retirees. Esan cited a 2016 National Industrial Court judgment that affirmed the retirees' entitlements to the properties.