Cargo evacuation: NRC to deploy 20 wagons to seaports

THE Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that plans are underway for the corporation to deploy between 15 to 20 locomotive wagons to the nation’s seaports to ease cargo evacuation processes.

According to a statement signed on Monday by the General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abdullahi Goje, the top echelon of the NPA and the NRC inspected terminals in the Apapa port over the weekend to look at ways of reviving full rail evacuation of cargoes at the ports.

Speaking during the facility maintenance inspection of the state of the rail lines in the ports, the Managing Director of the NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria stated that the working visit was to assess the present state of the rail lines in order to further collaborate with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in the area of rehabilitation.

The Director of Operations of the NRC, Mr Niyi Alli, who stood in for the Managing Director of the Corporation explained that the rail service would be optimally utilized for cargo evacuation in line with the Federal Government’s policy of Ease of Doing Business in the country. He stated that plans are being concluded by putting into operation between 15 to 20 Locomotive Wagons with each evacuating 20 units of 40 footer container at a go from the Terminals to the hinterland.

In her presentation, the NPA MD, represented by the General Manager MD’s Office, Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, informed stakeholders and port users of the renewed vigour and determination of management at improving the present state of infrastructure to meeting world-class standards towards ensuring the swift evacuation of cargo from the seaports across the country to the hinterlands through the rail lines.

According to her, Management was fully aware of the state of congestion in the ports caused by the bad roads within the port axis. This she regretted has led to a reduction in revenue accruable to the Organisation as well as the inability of the nation to maximize her potential as a major player in the Maritime sector within Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Management would collaborate and improve on the existing synergy with the NRC at addressing the challenges facing the Corporation with a view to increasing the market size of the country in the area of Cargo evacuation,” the NPA MD stated while inspecting rail facilities in the ports.

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It would be recalled the Honorable Minister of Transportation Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, recently instituted a Committee comprising the Managing Directors of NPA and NRC as well as their top echelon to carry out on the spot assessment of the present state of infrastructure of the rail lines in the port terminals. It is expected that the rehabilitation would further go a long way towards the swift evacuation of cargoes from the ports.