Railway
FG approves $3.02bn for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line reconstruction

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved $3.02bn for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja at the end of the weekly meeting of the council presided over by the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister said, “The Federal Executive Council has approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.
“The council also approved the construction of a new deep seaport in Bonny, under PPP and the construction of a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt.
“The railway line will be at the cost of $3,020,279,549. The industrial park, which is under PPP, at no cost to Federal Government, will cost $241,154,389.31. The Bonny deep seaport will cost $461,924,369, at no cost to the Federal Government.
“The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge railway will have new branch lines: from Port Harcourt to Bonny and from Port Harcourt to Owerri are new lines.
“There is another connecting to narrow gauge to standard gauge at Kafanchan. There is a branch line from Gombe or before Maiduguri to Damaturu and Gashau.”
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the council approved the establishment of the Nigeria Correctional Service shoe, garment, and leather processing factories in Aba, Abia State, as well as Janguza, Kano State.
He said, “The benefit, beside the employment of Nigerians, is the opportunity for training of the inmates of our correctional facilities in Janguza, Kano State and Aba in Abia State.
“The contract for full business skills compliance certificate is given to Messrs LG Investment Limited, a Nigerian company which is partnering with a Chinese company, Full Technology Incorporated from Beijing, China.”
Railway
NRC in multiple cargo train launches on Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line

NRC in multiple cargo train launches on Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has embarked on multiple cargo train movements from Lagos to Ibadan using reliable private sector firms as part of measures to boost train operations and shore up its revenue.
Two different freight trains have been launched this week and each is expected to move from Lagos to Ibadan axis three times every week on the standard gauge line.
On Monday, the corporation in collaboration with APM Terminals, Apapa resumed the Lagos-Ibadan cargo train with 35 containers departing the Lagos Port container terminal for Ibadan, Oyo State.
A day earlier, the Bueno Logistics with the support of the NRC had pioneered the rail transportation of gypsum, moving 23 wagons of the product from Lagos for a cement company at Papalanto, Ogun State.
Speaking on Monday during the re-launch of the Lagos-Ibadan cargo train on the standard gauge rail, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, said the train haulage would take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
He said each train trip would move 35 wagons of 35 by 40ft or 35 wagons of 70 by 20ft containers or a mixture.
He said, “I am delighted to officially welcome you to the flag-off of container movement from Apapa to Moniya in Ibadan on the standard gauge rail.
“Though NRC and APM Terminals have a long history of doing business of container traffic to places in the hinterland of Nigeria such as Kaduna, Kano, it is mainly on the narrow gauge lines.
“However, container traffic movement by rail on the standard gauge in and out of APM Terminals to Moniya freight yard in Ibadan commenced on September 2023 with the likes of Bueno Logistics and Transco Africa Logistics blazing the trail among other customers using the single transitional line in APMT.
“Two additional lines are at an advanced stage of completion in APMT which will bring the total lines within the APMT standard gauge corridor to three lines.
“While this milestone event marks the commencement of container traffic expansion on the standard gauge rail Line from APMT Terminal to Moniya Ibadan Freight yard, this will facilitate the import and export of commodities with adequate convenience and hitch-free vehicle movement.”
Opeifa stressed the commitment of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to the revitalisation and modernisation project of the NRC for efficient rail system.
“As part of the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr President, this is one of the surest ways to address the cost of goods, the standard of living and multi-dimensional poverty,” he added.
Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Dr Pius Akutah, said the resumption of rail haulage would lead to the decongestion of the port terminals.
“We at the NSC understand that rail transport happens to be the cheapest and safest when it comes to trade,” he stated.
Representing APM Terminals, the terminal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi, highlighted the improvement made to the latest cargo train service.
She said, “The new schedule ensures trains depart three times a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays— providing businesses with greater predictability and efficiency.
“Unlike the previous system, where trains departed only when fully loaded, the structured timetable allows customers to plan shipments in advance.
“Additionally, payments for the service have been streamlined, with customers now paying exclusively to APM Terminals Apapa, which will facilitate transactions with all relevant stakeholders.”
Speaking on the gypsum movement by train, in a post, Managing Director of Bueno Logistics Limited, Mazi Jetson Nwankwo, said the project commenced on Sunday February 9, 2025 with 23 wagons.
He explained that each of the wagons could accommodate 50-60 tonnes.
The train, he said, took off from ENL Apapa Port and headed for delivery at the Papalanto cement firm.
He said, “History is being made today as Bueno Logistics Limited, a pacesetter in rail-based logistics business, in collaboration with the NRC pioneered the movement of gypsum using the new standard gauge railway system from ENL Apapa Port to Papalanto, one of the leading cement companies in the country.”
“The train is departing with 23 wagons and each wagon takes 50-60 tonnes. And we will deliver within two and a half hours.”
“The train is safe, delivers in bulk and at a pocket-friendly rate,” Nwankwo added.
Railway
NRC, APM Terminals seal Lagos-Ibadan cargo movement pact

NRC, APM Terminals seal Lagos-Ibadan cargo movement pact
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has concluded arrangement with the management of APM Terminals to commence the expansion of cargo movement from Apapa port, Lagos, to the NRC freight yard in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State.
This was disclosed after a meeting between the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, and the APM Terminals team led by its CEO, Mr Frederik Klinke,
NRC Director of Operation, Mr Akin Osinowo, and CCO APM Terminals Nigeria, Mrs Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi, also attended the meeting.
Klinke highlighted the strategic advantage of Nigeria being surrounded by a number of landlocked neighbouring countries, creating an opportunity to serve as a hub for importation of containerized goods.
APMT assured NRC of greater efficiency in turnaround of cargo at the port and expansion of the use of rail for cargo evacuation and export through APM Terminals.
He reiterated APMT’s position as the foremost transporter of container freight in the country and a major partner to the NRC.
The MD of NRC expressed appreciation for APM Terminal’s close partnership with NRC for decades.
He stated that the collaboration would be of tremendous benefit to both parties.
“We are going to work for the satisfaction of not only the APMT but all customers who intend to do business with Railways.”
The MD said like he reiterated in his maiden speech at the assumption of office, “prioritizing customers’ satisfaction by improving customer experience and ensuring that our services are reliable, efficient, safe and sustainable” remain cardinal to him.
He added that all key stakeholders including the media, would be deployed extensively to encourage people towards greater use of the rail system.
This, he stressed, would invariably translate into drastically reducing the cost of goods and services.
It would also increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by providing food security, which is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he stated.
Railway
Railway workers unions pledge to work with new MD Opeifa

Railway workers unions pledge to work with new MD Opeifa
The two labour unions at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) say they are prepared to work with the new Managing Director of the corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, to achieve the mandate of President Bola Tinubu for the rail sector.
Leaders of the Nigeria Union of Railway workers (NUR) and Senior Staff Association (SSA) met with the NRC management in Lagos.
Opeifa, who disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday, said the labour leaders passed the resolution after the meeting with the management on Monday, where all their grievances were tabled for discussion.
The MD described the maiden meeting with the workers’ leaders as “productive with mutual understanding of all issues raised”.
He stated that while some matters raised by the unions were assigned for further discussion at directorate level, others such as the medical personnel allowance, were instantly resolved.
He said, “The unions have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with the management and provide all necessary support to ensure that train services operate at maximum efficiency, contributing to the growth of rail services in Nigeria as well as reducing the prices of goods and services to achieve Mr. President’s mandate.”
Opeifa expressed happiness at the outcome, adding that with the workforce behind him, he could now begin to work at optimizing railway operations in the country.
He said the management was committed to the welfare of the workers and ensuring that their work as well as living conditions would be adequately catered for under his leadership.
The labour unions had during Opeifa’s resumption indicated their willingness to drop their agitation in deference to the new managing director who they described as a member of the human rights family.
National President of the NUR, Innocent Aji, lauded Opeifa for his frankness.
He appreciated the MD’s willingness to listen attentively to their grievances, adding that the union would hold tenaciously to the promises extracted from him during the meeting.
Corroborating the NUR president, his counterpart at the Senior Staff Association, Marcel Okeke, said their decision to rein in the workers was informed by the human rights pedigree of the new managing director, and his openness during the meeting.
According to Okeke, the union leaders were enamoured by the fact that the managing director was once a comrade, adding that they had no doubt that under him, railway workers would enjoy a new deal and a new lease of life.
They reached the truce just as Opeifa assured them that under him, the NRC management would continue to foster greater collaboration with the unions for the purpose of promoting industrial harmony.
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