The Federal Government announced it has charged the APM Terminals in Apapa to allow China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) ensure the completion of Ebute Meta – Apapa seaports railway extension by January, 2021.
This was disclosed by Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, on social media and in a statement released by the Ministry of Information after the Minister visited the terminal on Saturday.
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The Minister warned that the January date for the commissioning of Apapa extention 2 railway with the Lagos -Ibadan railway was very important to the FG.
In a social media post, he said, “We analysed the synergy between the ports & the rail lines, decongesting Apapa port; and looked at a detailed plan for offloading cargo unto the trains. We expect them to increase their speed at the Apapa axis & reach completion before commissioning”
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Amaechi added that moving cargo through rail will reduce the gridlock in Apapa.
“The moment we begin movement of cargo from Lagos to Ibadan, then the Lagos gridlock will reduce drastically and that’s my objective in January.
“We have already told the President, that we are commissioning in January. Now, I am working towards that time. We must achieve that time,” he added.
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What you should know
- Nairametrics reported that The Federal Government revealed that the perennial traffic in Apapa and its environs is expected to come to an end within the first quarter of 2021.
- FG added that sorting out the gridlock and other issues in the ports and along that corridor would ensure the utilization of the benefits in the AfCFTA to the country.
- The Transport Minister also disclosed that the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos must become operational in 2022.
