Inclusion of rail, barges for cargoes’ll save port access roads, businesses—NPA
The leadership of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has once again, made it clear that absolute peace will return to Apapa Port access roads and environs as soon as the current use of roads for seas cargoes is supported by rail and barges.
Giving insights on the way forward out of the intractable road crisis facing Apapa axis during a visit of the House of Representatives Committee on Ports in Lagos, the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman, said over 95 per cent of the cargoes landing at Nigerian seaports was transported by road using trucks which had become a nightmare for residents and stakeholders’.
Represented by the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mohammed Bello-Koko, the chief executive averred that “There must be multimodal means of transportation to include trains and barges in order to reduce congestion and we are working towards this.”
She further assured that in no distant time, Lagos Ports will be linked up by standard gauge rails even as use of barges will increase so that less would only be transported on roads.
Responding, the chairman of the committee, Garba Mohammad, told stakeholders that the visit was to avail the committee with the workings of the ports and find out ways the House could enhance port operations as they settle down to begin full oversight function in the maritime sector.
