In a momentous occasion during his first official tour of the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor, Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, inaugurated the inaugural cargo movement, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure.

Commencing the tour at the Ebute Meta station, the minister proceeded to Apapa for the grand launch and later traveled to Ibadan, covering the impressive 157 km rail corridor. As the inaugural freight movement got underway, three coaches, each comprising 30 wagons, were loaded, symbolizing a promising start to enhanced cargo transportation.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is poised to maintain this momentum, with plans to initiate three coaches per day. The Managing Director of NRC emphasized the corporation’s capacity to scale up these numbers, a development that holds great promise for the region’s logistics and trade.

This effort carries the potential to alleviate congestion at the Apapa port, a critical hub that handled 92.28 percent of Nigeria’s total exports and 60.77 percent of imports during the first quarter of 2022 (Q1’22). As the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor continues to evolve, it is poised to play a pivotal role in streamlining cargo transportation, boosting economic growth, and improving overall connectivity within the nation.