Importers, customs agents and freight forwarders have condemned the Federal Government for neglecting the cargo rail system in the South-East and South-South, which has remained moribund since the end of the Civil War.

The maritime stakeholders voiced their frustration at a summit organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, themed ‘Enhancing Railway Infrastructural Development for Seamless Movement of Cargoes from the East to the Hinterland: The Way Forward – NRC’.

The event, aimed at addressing limitations in rail transportation for cargo in Nigeria, triggered outrage among stakeholders, who condemned the lack of infrastructural development in the eastern region, particularly in the railway sector.

They highlighted the Federal Government’s long-standing neglect of the region’s infrastructure, rather than providing any real solutions. The Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Onne Port Chapter, Ifeanyi Isikaku, criticised the NSC for discussing railway operations when no functional rail system or inland dry ports exist in the region.

Isikaku condemned the hosting of the summit in the region, noting that the rail system had gone bad and the road network infrastructure dilapidated, calling on the government to fix the system urgently.

He also dismissed claims that terminal operators in the East are inefficient, saying the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) has spent billions of naira improving its facilities and acquiring modern machinery. He added that it is another attempt to undermine infrastructural development in the East.

Chairman of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF), Onne Port Chapter, Ugochukwu Obinna, said it was sad that the railway system in the East is in comatose, while regulatory agencies discuss seamless cargo movement, questioning if “they even know how the system operates”.

He also accused the Federal Government of marginalisation, citing massive investments in infrastructure in the Lagos-Ibadan corridor while the East remains underdeveloped.

“We are left to suffer despite the huge economic resources from the East that sustains the Federal Government. This is a mockery of our leaders and intelligence. NSC should know that the railway system is moribund. The seamless movement of cargo from the seaport to the hinterland means that they don’t know how the system operates. The railway in the east is bad, not functioning, and the organiser cannot claim ignorance of the system,” he lamented.

He said taxpayers’ money is wasted on a fruitless academic jamboree, which does not address the shortcomings of the railway system.
Obinna recalled with pain how the Former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, could not attract the ‘Narrow Garage Railway’ to east under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He directed the NSC to first go to the National Assembly to address the issues of infrastructural development in the east before meeting stakeholders for seamless cargo movement.

The former National President of ANLCA, Ernest Elochukwu, stressed that poor road infrastructure in the East discourages investors, calling on the government to prioritise development before discussing seamless operations. He directed the NSC to tell the government to provide infrastructure first before talking about seamless operations.

In response, the Director of the NSC South-South Zonal Coordinating Office, Ada Okolue, argued that railway revitalisation would create jobs, boost the economy and improve infrastructure. She urged state governors to support the project, noting that collaboration between stakeholders and government agencies is necessary to drive change.