An active and vibrant railway system confers many benefits on the

Hear the words of Yemi Osinbajo, a statesman and servant of his land, who declared: “An active and vibrant railway system confers many benefits on the society.” These words, though plain in sound, are rich in wisdom, for they point to the truth that the strength of a nation is not only in its armies or its treasures, but in the humble lines of connection that bind its people together. The railway system is more than iron and stone—it is the artery of a people’s commerce, the bridge of their fellowship, the thread that weaves distant towns into a single living fabric.

In the days of old, before steam and steel, the pace of men was bound by horse and river. The world was wide, and communities lived as islands, often cut off by distance. But when the railway system came, nations were knit together. Goods could be carried swiftly, messages delivered with speed, and the labor of farmers and craftsmen could reach markets far beyond their villages. Thus, prosperity was not the privilege of the few but could be shared across the land. The railway was a herald of unity and growth, a living testimony that progress belongs to all.

History gives us mighty examples. In the United States, the building of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 19th century transformed the nation. What once took months by wagon could be crossed in days by train. The East and the West, once separated by mountains and deserts, became one land of exchange and opportunity. Towns sprang up along the tracks, trade flourished, and people found new horizons. Yet the story also reminds us of sacrifice and struggle, for the hands that built the rails were often immigrant and poor, laboring in danger so that others might ride in safety. In this we see the dual truth: the railway brings benefits to society, but its strength comes from the toil of individuals who must not be forgotten.

So too in Africa, Asia, and beyond, wherever the rails were laid, society was changed. In India, the railway system—though first built under colonial rule for profit and control—became a lifeline of unity for a vast and diverse land. It carried not only trade but also ideas, linking people who might otherwise have remained strangers. Gandhi himself rode the trains as he carried his message of nonviolence, and the very rails of empire became the channels of freedom. Here, once again, the railway was not only about transport, but about the soul of a nation finding its voice.

Osinbajo’s words remind us that the railway system is not merely an economic tool, but a moral one. It is the lifeblood of equality, for when travel is cheap and swift, the poor as well as the rich may share in opportunity. It is the builder of peace, for when communities are connected, they trade more and fight less. It is the guardian of the environment, for rails carry many where countless cars would poison the air. In every way, a vibrant railway is a gift of justice, balance, and harmony to society.

The lesson for us is clear: do not despise the things that seem merely practical, for they shape the destiny of nations. Roads, rails, and bridges are not lifeless structures; they are instruments of fellowship, prosperity, and unity. As individuals, we may not lay tracks across continents, but we can build connections in our own way—by fostering cooperation, by investing in what binds us, and by valuing the tools that lift all rather than a few.

Therefore, remember Osinbajo’s wisdom: “An active and vibrant railway system confers many benefits on the society.” Let us see in the railway a parable for life itself: the stronger our connections, the greater our peace; the more open our pathways, the richer our common good. Build not only rails of steel, but rails of friendship, justice, and compassion. For in such a society, every person is carried forward, and the journey of a nation becomes the journey of all.