Nigerian Ports Authority has stated that the number of cargo shipment by rail has increased from 9,000 moves recorded in 2023 to 10,000 in the first six months of this year.
This was disclosed by the Port Manager of Lagos Ports Complex of NPA, Charles Okaga, during a recent stakeholders’ roundtable organised by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria in Apapa, Lagos, according to The Punch.
Okaga stated that NPA now completes its shipping documentation online, cutting the time it takes to process documents from roughly two weeks to less than two hours.
“Railway movement of cargo has also improved; last year we had about 9,000 moves, and in the first half of this year, we have had over 10,000 moves by rail. The Nigerian Port Authority’s shipping documentation is now done online, reducing document processing time from about two weeks to less than two hours, provided everything is in place,” he said.
He praised the Nigeria Customs Service’s efforts in ensuring that export cargoes gain easy access to the port, adding that customs resident commands in the ports had been instructed to refrain from interfering with exports once the cargo was cleared and released.
“We are proud to say that between 2022 and 2024, there has been a tremendous increase in exports. For the first time in a long while, we have a positive balance of trade concerning exportation,” he added.
Okaga noted that support has been given to stakeholders to guarantee the clearing of port access roads.
“This time last year, we had an average of 40 to 50 container trucks entering the port by road. Today, we have days with up to 122 trucks carrying around 240 boxes into the port. This is a step forward.
“Our export has increased, using 2022 as a baseline; our export value in 2024 was projected to be 15 per cent higher than in 2022 and 15 perc ent higher in 2024 compared to 2023. This indicates that policies to ensure smooth export movement are working,” he noted.
The port manager added that though the port operated 24 hours, they were still having issues with infrastructure around the port, particularly the roads, which were in poor condition.
Commenting, the Tincan Island Chapter of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Abayomi Duyile, said that the rise indicated a rise in import shipments to the northern part of the country.
He emphasized the necessity of developing freight movement by rail properly, noting that doing so would facilitate and expedite the delivery of cargo to the owners’ warehouses.
“If the parties in the north that are using rail, if the volume of the import in the north that are mostly using this has increased that would also lead to an increase. There is no traffic on rail; once you move from Lagos, you know the time that those cargoes are expected to get to their final destination,” he stated.
Duyile underlined that the movement of cargoes by rail would also result in lower operating expenses.
