LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJAA)- The Federal Government has finally inaugurated cargo movement from the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor.
This is following initial concern over the under-utilization of the standard gauge rail line two years after its commissioning.
The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, spearheaded the inauguration during his first official tour of the rail corridor earlier today.
READ ALSO: Governor Sanwo-Olu Inaugurates CMS/Mile-2 Blue Line Project In Lagos
Alkali started the tour at the Ebute Meta station before proceeding to Apapa for the launch, then travelled to Ibadan using the 157 km rail corridor.
Three coaches of 30 wagons were loaded as the inaugural freight movement kicked off.
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) disclosed that it would start with three coaches per day, with its Managing Director (MD) noting that the corporation had the capacity to scale up the numbers.
The recent development is expected to decongest the Apapa port, as 92.28% of Nigeria’s total exports and 60.77 per cent of imports were been moved by shippers through the facility in the first quarter of 2023.
