NRC targets April for 100% Lagos-Kaduna dry port movement

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has fixed the beginning of the second quarter of 2025 for full operations of its cargo train movement from Lagos to Kaduna Inland Dry Port.

This was disclosed in a video clip shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the NRC.

Managing Director of NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa stated in the video that while logistical operations had been put in place, some non-logistics issues needed to be addressed to ensure the seamless movement of goods via both narrow- and standard-gauge rail lines.

“There are little issues which are not related to logistics that need to be cleared out. However, barring all circumstances, we are determined that the Nigerian Railway Corporation will ensure that the movement of goods along both narrow and standard rail lines is at maximum.

“So, we are committed to ensuring that the movement of goods from Lagos to this dry port is achieved somewhere at the beginning of the second quarter,” Opeifa said.

While expressing optimism about the project, Opeifa explained that all other issues related to other agencies of government would have been resolved and working with them should be able to ramp up.

Managing Director of Inland Containers Nigeria Limited, Omotayo Dada, also featured in the video and expressed optimism that within a few quarters, productivity at the Kaduna Inland Dry Port would increase significantly.

“We are optimistic that within a couple of quarters before the year runs out, productivity would even increase by about 70 per cent,” Dada said.

The Kaduna Inland Dry Port, commissioned in 2018, was established as a major logistics hub for exports, particularly agricultural products.

However, it has been operating below capacity, handling fewer containers than initially expected.

Over the years, container movement between Apapa Port and the Kaduna Inland Dry Port has been intermittently suspended for various reasons. Notably, in September 2020, operations were halted due to the rehabilitation of railway tracks, disrupting freight transport.

In a broader effort to improve freight connectivity between the southwestern seaports and inland regions, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved a $45.3 million contract for a feasibility study and engineering design of a new rail corridor.

The planned alignment will extend from Badagry Deep Sea Port through Tin Can, Apapa, and Lekki Seaports, reaching Ijebu-Ode and Kajola, where it will integrate with the Lagos-Kano-Maradi Railway Modernisation project.