In a significant milestone, the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, initiated the inaugural cargo movement along the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor during his official tour on Tuesday.

Minister Alkali commenced his tour at the Ebute Meta station and proceeded to Apapa for the launch event. Subsequently, he embarked on a journey to Ibadan, utilizing the 157 km rail corridor.

The inaugural freight movement saw the loading of three coaches, each carrying 30 wagons, marking a momentous occasion.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has outlined its plan to begin with three coaches per day, with the Managing Director emphasizing the corporation’s ability to increase capacity as needed.

This initiative aims to alleviate congestion at the Apapa port, a critical hub for Nigeria’s trade. In the first quarter of 2022 (Q1’22), shippers handled 92.28 percent of Nigeria’s total exports and 60.77 percent of imports through this facility.

Credit: Channels TV