Shippers’ Council facilitates return of evacuation of cargo by rail

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) yesterday midwifed the return of rail evacuation of containerized cargoes from the seaport.

The move was aimed at boosting the nation’s export earnings and remove impediments that have trapped export cargoes on port access roads.

The evacuation by rail, according to the Executive Secretary of the Council, Barr. Hassan Bello, will allow export cargoes trapped at various private garages and port corridors access Lagos ports through the road.

Bello, who was represented by Director, Regulatory Services, Mrs Ifeoma Ezedinma, at the official reviving of evacuation of cargoes by rail in Lagos, said export is key to the growth of the nation’s economy and the terminals must be decongested for export to access the Lagos port.

He said because export must be given priority was the reason the council ensured the return of rail for evacuation of cargoes from the seaport.

The Shippers Council’s boss also disclosed that there is an existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) developed between the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), APM Terminal, Apapa to be supervised by the Council on evacuation of cargoes through rail from the Seaports.

He said, “Evacuation of cargoes through the seaports will be done through railway, badges and eventually, export cargoes will be mandated to come through the roads because with rail and badges, the port will be decongested for export to come in through the road.

The shippers council boss who said that the cost of freighting cargoes is less compared to other modes of transportation, assured that the council will monitor the process for compliance and sustainability.

His words, “the cost will be reduced because the economy of demand and supply, that is, the market forces, will come in and also right whoever causes delay in the supply chain will pays because we will monitor the process.

Also speaking, the External Affairs Manager, APM terminals, Daniel Odibe, disclosed that the new SOP will help bridge communication gap that it had experienced with NRC in the past and ultimately lead to more efficient cargo evacuation through the rail.

“This is an important milestone being achieved here. It is something we have always asked for. We want to have a Standard Operating Procedure for receiving trains into the terminal and servicing them.

It definitely helps planning when you have free information of what is coming to you and when it is coming to you. It will bridge communication gap that we have experienced with NRC in the past and definitely lead to more efficient operation with more cargo being handled through the rail tracks.

“If we don’t have an agreed standard way of operating with the parties involved, you’ll definitely have gaps in communication.

“So we really commend Shippers’ Council for bringing today together NRC and APM terminals to bridge that communication gap.
Right now, we have a SOP that will enable us receive the right containers coming to APMT without any hindrance and also enable us service the trains within the agreed timelines.

“We are not envisaging more challenges with the commencement of the SOP and it will also create a platform for us to meet, review the past and seek ways to improve.

“What we propose was for four trains in a day within every 12 hours but NRC advised we start with two and we scale up as we go.

“We were assured that the process will be sustained.

He said with the section of the bridge closed, it will go a long way to decongest the terminals at the port.

According to him, the intention when the rail line was constructed in 2013 and connected to national line was to provide alternate mode of evacuation of cargoes to customers.

“Coming together to improve on the number of containers that we evacuate by the rail line, is coming at the best time with the bridge closure. it will take away some trucks that will normally access via the road.