The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to fully optimising freight operations from Lagos to the Kaduna Inland Dry Port by the second quarter of 2025.
This announcement was made in a video shared on NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, featuring a report from AIT News Channel.
Dr. Kayode Opeifa, the NRC Managing Director, acknowledged that while logistical structures are in place, certain non-logistical challenges must be resolved to ensure the smooth movement of goods on both narrow and standard gauge rail lines.
“There are little issues which are not related to logistics that needed to be cleared out. However, bearing all circumstances, we are determined that the Nigerian Railway Corporation will ensure that the movement of goods along both narrow and standard rail lines is at maximum. So, we are committed to ensuring that the movement of goods from Lagos to this Dry Port is achieved somewhere at the beginning of the second quarter,” Opeifa stated.
He added that with cooperation from relevant government agencies, NRC is not only aiming for 70% operational efficiency but a complete 100% capacity utilization.
Omotayo Dada, Managing Director of Inland Containers Nigeria Limited, expressed optimism that productivity at the Kaduna Inland Dry Port would significantly improve within the coming quarters.
“We are optimistic that within a couple of quarters, before the year runs out, productivity would even increase by about 70%,” Dada noted.
The Kaduna Inland Dry Port, commissioned in 2018 as a major export logistics hub, particularly for agricultural products, has struggled to operate at full capacity.
Container movement between Apapa Port and the dry port has faced frequent disruptions. Notably, operations were suspended in September 2020 due to railway track rehabilitation, halting freight transport for over a year until resuming in October 2021.
To enhance freight connectivity between southwestern seaports and inland regions, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved a $45.3 million contract for a feasibility study and engineering design of a new rail corridor.
The proposed railway will link Badagry Deep Sea Port, Tin Can Seaport, Apapa Seaport, and Lekki Seaport to the national rail network. The route will extend from Badagry through Lagos ports, Ijebu-Ode, and Kajola, integrating with the Lagos-Kano-Maradi Railway Modernization Project.
This initiative aims to boost freight transport efficiency, facilitate trade, and drive economic growth nationwide.
