The Lagos-Ibadan cargo train has not returned to Ibadan with cargo since it arrived at the Apapa Port on Sunday, October 29, 2023, from Moniya in Ibadan, according to investigations conducted by the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday. This is because there are not enough cargoes to be lifted from the busiest port in the country.
The Lagos-Ibadan cargo train arrived at Apapa Port on Sunday with a sizable number of export units of containers, and as of Wednesday, the Nigerian Tribune’s checks showed that it had not returned to Ibadan since there were not enough import units of containers to lift.
The Lagos-Ibadan cargo train was positioned in the rail track when the Nigerian Tribune Correspondent arrived at the Apapa Port on Wednesday. It was waiting to be loaded with import units of containers, which didn’t appear to be available at the time this report was filled up.
A port employee who did not want his name to appear in print told the Nigerian Tribune that there are simply not enough containers for the Lagos-Ibadan cargo train to lift.
The train occasionally remains here, inside the harbour, for days at a time without moving. The train arrived on Sunday and has been here ever since. It is Wednesday now, and the containers have not yet returned to Ibadan.
“Cargo is departing the port, but not via railway. Because railway haulage is so expensive, cargo owners are choosing road transport instead.
““The cargo owners inform us that road evacuation of goods is more cost-effective than rail relocation when we request that they relocate their cargo by rail.
“I believe that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) ought to lower its ticket prices. Perhaps more shipments will depart the port via train if that occurs, the port employee, who was not granted permission to comment on the subject, said the Nigerian Tribune Newspapers.
When contacted, the NRC acknowledged the pause in train cargo movement but asserted that it had no control over the manner in which containers are released from the port.
The Lagos District Manager of the NRC, Engineer Augustine Arisa, stated in an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune that lowering rates is difficult given the current price of diesel.
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“Yes, the train came in on Sunday with some export units of cargoes and has not left for Moniya since then,” stated Engineer Augustine Arisa. Although we really have no control on the shipments, our goal is to depart either tomorrow or Friday.
The method by which cargo owners wish to remove their containers from the port is up to them. We would move the train back to Ibadan only when we have customers. The train is in perfect working order. Although the train is in excellent operating order, we are unable to just drive it from Lagos to Ibadan without freight to transport.
When asked if the NRC was thinking of lowering freight transportation costs between Lagos and Ibadan, Engineer Arisa responded that it would be difficult to do so because of the high price of diesel.
““We’re thinking of cutting fares right now to increase business. But remember, we purchase diesel to run these trains. When you want to lower tickets yet the cost of diesel is impeding you, it’s not easy.
“However, we are considering the possibility of reducing fares, and once we determine a fair amount, we will disclose it to the public,” the NRC Lagos District Manager exclusively disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune.
Recall that on September 12th, the Federal Government began shipping containers by train from Lagos to Ibadan. The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, gave the government the authority to ship three times a day, or ninety times a month.
