Engr. (DR.) Freeborn Okhiria: A Resourceful Engineer, Committed To Putting Vision To Work At The Nigerian Railway Corporation

The John Paul Warren’s assertion that “there has never been a meaningful life built on easy street”, holds true in the professional journey of this dynamic manager and resourceful engineer with developmental vision, who rose from the cradle of his pubic service career, to become the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Engr. (Dr.) Freeborn Edetanlen Okhiria’s patriotic application of his acquired engineering knowledge and managerial competence has been contributing to the betterment of rail transportation in Nigeria, and his achievements have become motivation for many young professionals, who are desirous of making a mark in their fields.

Apart from his degree in Electrical Engineering, he has improved his knowledge through the numerous on the job trainings and certifications. Over the years, the determined and focused public servant has acquired specialized training in Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), Structuring PP Transaction , Logistic and Transport Management, Industrial Maintenance Management.

Starting his career with the NRC in 1988 as a Pupil Mechanical/Electrical Engineer, Engr Okhiria was first appointed as the Managing Director of the Corporation on October 20th, 2016. Prior to his appointment in 2016, he served as the District Manager and Director of Mechanical/Electrical and Signal/Telecommunication of the Corporation. His extensive industry experience covers the design, development, installation and supervision of many multi-million naira projects from inception to completion.

Due to his laudable achievements, coupled with his exemplary leadership which has brought industrial peace to the rail subsector and his drive for excellence, he was reappointed for another term of four years as the helm man of the Corporation in October, 2020.

The distinguished professional is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineering (FNIME), Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (FCILT), Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria (FSM), and of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE). He  is also a Member, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Member, Institute of Director (IOD), and Chartered Member, Nigeria Institute of Management.

A team player with patriotic vision, his commitment to hard work and discipline has seen many lofty projects completed since assumption of office as the Managing Director of the previously near moribund organization. Some of the laudable achievements worthy of mention include: completion and commission of the Abuja – Kaduna train services, which was almost abandoned by the previous administration ; completion and commission of the Warri – Itakpe train services, for both freights and passengers services after almost three and half decades of neglect/abandonment by previous successive administrations; commenced, supervised and commissioned the Lagos to Ibadan Railway Modernization Project. Through his pragmatic leadership style at the Nigeria Railway Corporation, the organization ensures rail participation in the Apapa Port decongestion with the strategic introduction of short distance haulage from the port to hinterland terminals.

Also acknowledged as part of his administration’s achievements are : the construction of rail connection line at the Kaduna Inland Dry Port to evacuate cargoes; reconstruction of the 3km narrow gauge length of track siding to link the Funtua Inland Dry Port, Funtua to the National network via Funtua Railway station in Katsina state; the construction of 10 modern station buildings and constructed over 32 train stations in the three standard gauge routes; the establishment of Kajola Wagon Assembly Plant in Kajola Ogun State; the supervision of the construction of Railway Ancillary Facility yard in Agbor; the establishment of container loading and off-loading points along the railway track at Ebute-Metta, Ijoko and Omi-Adio in Ibadan; the modification of 18 CBX Wagons for the AKK Gas Pipeline project to increase carrying capacity and other laudable policies and projects formulation, supervision and reconstruction.

Serving as member of several steering committees supervising the construction and reconstruction of several completed and ongoing rail transport projects, Engr Okhiria has prioritized the welfare and continuous training of the staff of the Corporation. He  has also continued to support and cooperate with other stakeholders in the implementation of the 25 year Railway Master Plan which has seen a number of new greenfield projects across the nation, in a bid to connect all states capital and industrial hub to national rail grid. The commencement of E-ticketing solutions for the Abuja – Kaduna, Warri–Itakpe and Lagos–Ibadan train services, and the development a track access framework that enables third parties to procure and deploy their rolling stock on the National Railway network by NRC have also been commended by many Nigerians.

Purpose-driven and diligent, his commitment to excellence and industriousness has earned him recognition and an award of commendation from the Honourable Minister of Transportation as the ‘Most Outstanding Staff of Corporation in 1996. He is also a recipient of many other awards from various organizations in several spheres of works. Prominent amongst them is the award of Honorary Doctorate Degree (Philosophy of Peace) by the United Nations Polac Foundation, and the “Impactful Leadership Award” by Champion Newspaper.