NRC, APMT expand container traffic on standard gauge from Apapa to Ibadan

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), in collaboration with APM Terminals (APMT), has officially launched the expansion of container traffic on the standard gauge railway from Apapa Port, Lagos, to Moniya Freight Yard in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The flag-off ceremony, held in Apapa, was attended by key stakeholders, including NRC’s Managing Director, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, APMT’s Managing Director, Mr. Fredrik Klinke, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Akutah Pius, and the Lagos Port Manager, Mr. A. I. Lawal. Other dignitaries included representatives from the Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Port Police Command, customers, business leaders, labor unions, and the press.

In his welcome address, APMT MD, Mr. Klinke, described the project as a major step forward in Nigeria’s transportation sector. He highlighted its potential to streamline container movement, reduce transit time, and alleviate road congestion between Lagos and Ibadan.

Barrister Pius of the Nigerian Shippers Council praised NRC and APMT for the initiative, emphasizing its alignment with the federal government’s ease of doing business agenda.

A representative of the Nigeria Customs Service also commended the collaboration and assured stakeholders of continued support from the Comptroller General and the entire customs agency.

Speaking at the event, NRC’s MD, Comrade Opeifa, lauded APMT for its long-standing partnership with the railway corporation. He noted that APMT remains one of NRC’s largest clients, with a container transport history dating back decades on the narrow-gauge lines serving cities like Kano and Kaduna.

Opeifa announced that the new container service will operate three times weekly—on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Each train will transport 35 wagons, carrying either 40-foot or 20-foot containers, or a combination of both.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to modernizing railway infrastructure under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He emphasized that rail-based container movement would lower logistics costs, improve living standards, boost business efficiency, and contribute to poverty reduction.

The event concluded with the ceremonial raising of NRC’s yellow and black flag by Comrade Opeifa and Barrister Pius, marking the official commencement of operations. Two locomotives, loaded with CBX containers, then departed from Apapa Port en route to Moniya Freight Yard, Ibadan.

This development is expected to enhance cargo transport efficiency and reinforce rail as a viable alternative to road freight in Nigeria’s logistics network.