APM Terminals Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a consistent schedule for the Apapa-Moniya Standard Gauge rail service, ensuring smooth cargo transportation between the Apapa Port and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Freight Yard in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Chief Commercial Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi, announced this in Lagos during the launch of the Apapa-Ibadan standard gauge rail service for container transportation.
The service provides a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to road transport, easing the movement of containers from the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa, to the Ibadan freight terminal.
Aubert-Adewuyi described the rail service as an “airport conveyor belt system” designed to run on a fixed schedule, ensuring uninterrupted import and export cargo flow. She also acknowledged past challenges, particularly erratic scheduling, which had made planning difficult for customers.
She said: “With our revamped service, we now offer a reliable and structured schedule, departing three times a week, ensuring efficient cargo movement from Apapa to Ibadan and back. This initiative also provides a cost-effective alternative to road transport, helping to alleviate the persistent traffic congestion in Apapa, which has significantly increased logistics costs.
”She also announced a simplified payment system, where customers will now make payments exclusively to APM Terminals Apapa, which will handle all necessary payments to other stakeholders in the rail service supply chain.
The Chief Finance Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Courage Obadagbonyi, emphasized the multi-modal strength of Apapa Port, integrating barge, road, and rail transport for enhanced cargo handling.
“Results from our 2024 fiscal year show a 43% growth in export volumes over the last two years, underscoring the positive impact of our investment in rail logistics,” he stated
He reaffirmed APM Terminals’ commitment to long-term sustainability, ensuring the continued efficiency of the Apapa-Ibadan rail service.
He said the launch further underscores APM Terminals’ commitment to improving logistics services in Nigeria and active plans to further invest in the Lagos Port Complex.
NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, acknowledged the longstanding collaboration between NRC and APM Terminals in moving container traffic across Nigeria, previously utilizing the narrow-gauge line to Kaduna and Kano.
He noted that container transportation on the new standard gauge rail line officially commenced in September 2023, with logistics firms like Bueno Logistics and Transco Africa Logistics among the early adopters.
He also revealed that two additional rail lines are nearing completion at APM Terminals Apapa, bringing the total number of standard gauge lines to three.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Pius Akuta, praised the collaboration between NRC and APM Terminals, recognizing rail transport as the most cost-effective and safest mode for shippers to move goods nationwide.
The new service operates between the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa and the NRC Freight Yard in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State, offering a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to road transportation.
It is expected to operate on a fixed schedule, with train departures from Apapa on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Each trip will transport up to 35 wagons, carrying either 35 forty-foot containers or 70 twenty-foot containers.
