The NRC Director of Operations and Commercial Services, Mr Akinwunmi Oshilowo made this known while speaking on Thursday during a stakeholders summit which was organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation  (NRC) has stated that most of the railway assets inside the Apapa Port have been vandalised by unknown persons. 

The NRC Director of Operations and Commercial Services, Mr Akinwunmi Oshilowo made this known while speaking on Thursday during a stakeholders summit which was organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). 

He lamented that aside vandalisation, NRC locomotives face challenges in accessing the ports due to too many trucks clogging the railway right of way inside the Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL) section of the Apapa Port.

The NRC Director of Operations and Commercial Services, explained that the NRC didn’t have enough Marshaling Yards inside the ports, adding that bringing their train locomotives into the APM Terminals in Apapa was always a nightmare.

He said; “There is need to have a little bit of clarity between rail and port jurisdiction because our locomotives keep having issues when coming into the ports around the ABTL terminal of the Apapa Port.

“Because we don’t have enough Marshaling Yards inside the ports, bringing our train locomotives into the APM Terminals in Apapa is always a nightmare.

“The corridor through which we navigate into the ports, which is located at ABTL terminal is too narrow and always congested with Trailers.

“Our Train locomotives have had several accidents along this corridor, mostly colliding with Trailers while trying to enter the ports. This is greatly hampering rail services at the ports and we hope the Shippers Council can help find a lasting solution to this issue.

“Another area we hope the relevant authorities can help us look into is the persistent vandalisation of Railway assets right inside the ports.

“This is one of the major reasons why we have not been able to access our GDL line which is at the quayside of the port. This is because of the persistent vandalisation  of our assets inside the ports.

“A lot of our assets, including the railway track asset that connects to the quayside of the port have been heavily vandalised.

“Anytime we repair these vandalised sections of Railway assets inside the ports, they are vandalised again. Its quite frustrating and we hope the relevant authorities can help us look into this issue