11
Feb
Feb
NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION RESUMES FREIGHT TRAIN SERVICES TO EASE LAGOS TRAFFIC
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Nicolas Adekeye / 2 months
- 0
- 2 min read
In a significant move to alleviate traffic congestion on Lagos roads, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has resumed freight train services between the Apapa Port Complex and Ibadan. This development is expected to substantially reduce the number of heavy-duty trucks transporting cargo, making the roads safer and more efficient. According to Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of NRC, the initiative is a “game-changer” in Nigeria’s transportation sector. “With this service, truck drivers who hesitate to enter Lagos due to strict traffic enforcement can now pick up containers at Moniya Inland Dry Port in Ibadan,” Opeifa stated. The container freight service will operate three times a week, transporting up to 210 containers weekly. Each trip will carry either 35 units of 40ft containers or 70 units of 20ft containers, or a mix of both, significantly reducing the number of trailers on Lagos roads and the risk of container accidents. Opeifa emphasized that freight movement by rail is more cost-effective than road transport, citing the NRC’s achievement of moving 362,327 metric tons of import and export cargo via rail in 2024 alone. The Federal Government’s commitment to railway revitalization was reaffirmed by Opeifa, who noted that the initiative addresses the cost of goods, standard of living, and multi-dimensional poverty as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Stakeholders, including the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), APM Terminals (APMT), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), welcomed the development, hailing it as a milestone for Nigerian logistics.