The Federal Government has been criticised over the absence of free train ride services for the 2026 Salah celebration, a benefit that has reportedly been provided during other major festive periods such as Christmas. The concern was raised by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), which questioned why similar transport support was not announced for Muslims during the Salah holiday.
From a business and transport perspective, stakeholders note that festive periods usually come with increased travel demand and higher transport costs across Nigeria. While the Nigerian Railway Corporation has introduced increased train services of six trips daily to handle passenger traffic during the Salah period, there was no announcement of free train rides, unlike in previous festive arrangements. The situation has sparked wider discussions on policy consistency and the economic impact of government transport interventions during holidays. Analysts argue that subsidised transport can ease household costs and stimulate economic activities such as trade and tourism, while also raising questions about fairness and inclusiveness in national economy.
