The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has received the sad news of the passing of its former Board Chairman and elder statesman, Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Mohammed Tukur, CON, who died on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90.
Dr. Tukur served as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation from January 22, 2014, to September 26, 2016, during an important period in the Corporation’s efforts to rehabilitate and reposition the nation’s railway system.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, expressed sadness over the passing of the former Board Chairman, describing his death as the loss of a respected elder statesman who devoted several decades of his life to public service, transportation, governance and national development.
Dr. Opeifa noted the significant place Dr. Tukur occupied in the history of the nation’s transportation sector, having at different times provided leadership in two strategic transport institutions – the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
As Chairman of the NRC Board, Dr. Tukur provided leadership and oversight at a period when considerable attention was being given to the rehabilitation, modernisation and expansion of railway infrastructure across the country.
His service to the Corporation formed part of a distinguished career that spanned public administration, transportation, politics, governance, the maritime industry and international business.
Born on September 15, 1935, Dr. Tukur rose to national prominence as General Manager and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Ports Authority from 1975 to 1982, where he played a significant role in the administration and development of Nigeria’s maritime transportation sector.
He later ventured into politics and was elected Governor of the old Gongola State in 1983, comprising present-day Adamawa and Taraba States. His tenure was brought to an end following the military intervention of December 31, 1983.
Dr. Tukur also served as Minister of Industries and remained a prominent figure in Nigeria’s organised private sector and the international business community.
A strong advocate of African economic development and private-sector participation, he served as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, among several other national and international responsibilities.
His political career also saw him emerge as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2012, a position he held until January 2014. He was subsequently appointed Ambassador-at-Large by the Federal Government.
Dr. Opeifa observed that the late Dr. Tukur’s years of service to the Nigerian Railway Corporation remained an important part of the Corporation’s institutional history and of the broader national effort to strengthen rail transportation as a catalyst for economic growth and development.
He said the former NRC Board Chairman would be remembered for a long and distinguished career that cut across transportation administration, governance, industry, politics and Pan-African enterprise.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation joins the nation in mourning Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Mohammed Tukur, CON, whose service as Chairman of the NRC Board from January 22, 2014, to September 26, 2016, remains a notable chapter in the history of the Corporation.
The Corporation extends its sympathies to his family, the Government and people of Adamawa State, and all those affected by his passing, while praying for the repose of his soul.