ComeToJesus:
After oil, the second largest revenue earner for Nigeria is import duties. A large chunk of that is from the ports. Yet, the access road is in a terrible mess.

Trailers are the Kings of the manor on these roads that lead to the Port. Zero efforts from the government. Never seen a government that is so irredeemably useless.

Some progress was made with freight trains before 2015 but no follow up to enhance what was done since then.
Can you imagine how much relief overall that would have been if continuously improved

Can Nigeria's renovated railway unite north and south?
13 February 2013

The railway linking the economic powerhouse of Lagos and the conflict-hit north of Nigeria has reopened after more than 10 years. The BBC's Will Ross made the 31-hour train journey and asks whether the train line can help unite this divided country.

Nigeria's railways are making a comeback after virtually grinding to a halt.

The first sign of progress is the reopening of the long defunct rail link between Lagos in the south and Kano in the north.
"This is my first experience on a train since I was at school in the early 1990s. I heard about it through BBC Hausa service so I'm giving it a try," says a Lagos-based businessman, as the train rumbles along at a steady 45km/h (28mph).

"Credit to the government, although we need a better service," he says.

Lagos to Kano rail map




Another passenger shrugs at the 1,100km (685 mile) journey to see his relatives in Kano. He will have just more than a day with his family before having to catch the weekly return service.

"This is a development. I once spent five days travelling by train from Lagos to Kano. The engine would be removed from the train and it be taken for a service whilst we would stay on board," he says.

The state-owned Nigeria Railway Corporation says the rehabilitation of 1,126km of track has cost 24bn naira (£98m; $153m).

With a one-way ticket starting from 1,930 Naira (£7.50; $12), it is far cheaper and, some say, safer than travelling by road.
"Last year an armed robber attacked us on the road. There was shooting but thank God we escaped. I feel safe on the train," says passenger Bukola Ogunbanjo.

En route, we pass abandoned relics of the once thriving railways - rusty, dilapidated carriages and goods wagons as well as crumbling stations.



The scene at Minna Station in Niger State


More from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21364541

anonimi:



NRC increases freight by 100 per cent
19 June 2016

The Lagos District of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has increased the number of freight it carries weekly by 100 per cent, saying it now moves 1270 tonnes of fertilizers from Lagos to Kaduna, and pipes from Lagos to Zaria.

In a statement by the District Public Relations Officer, Khadijah Aroyewun – Adekomaiya, the corporation said the development came as a result of improved partnership with haulage firms in the movement of heavy goods to different parts of the country, where tracks are available.

According to Adekomaiya, the rise in freight represents a tremendous growth from previous months where 575.4 and 500 tonnes of goods were lifted in the months of March and April 2016, respectively.


https://guardian.ng/news/144841/

NRC moves 3,200 tonnes of goods from Lagos ports in July
August 22, 2016

The Nigerian Railway Corporation moved 3,200 tonnes of goods out of Apapa ports by rail in its freight services in July, Jerry Oche, the Lagos District Manager, has said.
Oche told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos that the rail freight services helped to remove about 160 trucks off the roads last month.
He said: “We just started rail freight services and we now move containers from Lagos to Kano with two train services a week and each train moves 500 tonnes.
“We are moving fertilizers from Lagos to Kaduna and from Lagos to Gombe with two trains a week and each train moves 600 tonnes.
“We also moved pipes from Lagos ENL Port Terminal to Zaria, with two trains a week and each train moves 600 tonnes.”
According to Oche, each train has 20 wagons and each wagon moves 30 tonnes of goods, while most trucks could only move 20 tonnes.
He said: “If a haulage firm wants to move 1,200 tonnes of goods, it will need about 60 trucks, which may affect operations and logistics at the port.
“Whereas only two trains will be needed to move them, thus preventing road accidents and making our roads last longer.”
Oche said many haulage firms had started making enquiries about the corporation’s freight services on the movement of their heavy goods.
He said: “A lot of people and companies want to be convinced that we can do it, move their goods up to different parts of the country.
“Some even assumed that railway is dead but we’re slowly but steadily coming back.”
Oche said the rail freight services was helping to decongest the ports.
He said the corporation had also partnered with haulage firms on the movement of heavy goods from Lagos to different parts of the country.
Oche said the rehabilitation of tracks linking coastal tank farms was underway to allow optimal use of pressurised tank wagons for lifting of petroleum products by rail.

http://theeagleonline.com.ng/nrc-moves-3200-tonnes-of-goods-from-lagos-ports-in-july/

The man hours lost on that road is alarming.

why should we have one port in Nigeria ? Is Lagos the only city exposed to the sea in Nigeria?

What of Onne, Calaba port, places like Eket, Delta?

Crippling other sectors to hype one as good is bad economics.

What a sensible writeup...but somehow this will make sense to the ear of only less than 1% Nigerian while others cut dead ear .. But lass lass na everyone go suffer some of the impacts of these things..

We need railway

quentin06:
why should we have one port in Nigeria ? Is Lagos the only city exposed to the sea in Nigeria?
What of Onne, Calaba port, places like Eket, Delta?
Crippling other sectors to hype one as good is bad economics.

Stop exhibiting your ignorance with pride.
We have more than one port. Go and find out why they are not been used as much as Lagos ports.
Thank me later.

Same gridlock since 2017?

anonimi:


Stop exhibiting your ignorance with pride.
We have more than one port. Go and find out why they are not been used as much as Lagos ports.
Thank me later.

Learn how to read , don't misquote people, display of stupidity is not a show of intelligent.

I asked my 5 year old niece to analyze your sentence, her results say you have a fish brain.

Apapa gridlock just shows how insensitive Nigeria citizens and her government are to the economic of the nation.
Last year when the President came to Lagos for political reasons , the security network make sure that the gridlock disappeared.
However the same security network cannot eradicate the gridlock to remove poverty from the lives of millions of Nigeria.
Millions of Nigerians are in poverty because Trillions is lost everyday just because of gridlock that disappeared for only one man.
Nigeria na waoh!!!

What is our business with that. Have we not been screaming that other ports along our coast be put in operation for many, many years now but greed and shortsightedness is our daily manna.

Is there any developed or development seeking country that operates through just one seaport or port location ? We are enjoying the fruits of our strategic vulnerability. To cripple Nigeria you only have to sabotage 5 out of the over 900 kilometres of coastline and the country will be on be knees. Thank goodness we donot have international military conflicts.

In times past during military rule it could be understood that the fewer the gateways the easier it will be for the military to control the nation but 21 years into democracy, what is our excuse for this chicane, what is the reason for strangulating our economy if not greed.

No pity here. We are the authors of our misfortune. May the gridlock continue. Nonsense.

This is just the beginning. One thing i love about karma is that it will come back to hunt u.

There are so many sea ports in nigeria but tribalism, politics and selfish interests will not allow them work. They prefer everything to be in lagos.

Like i said this is just beginning

They should open up the other ports in the south- south zone such as the warri port and the NPA and this gridlock thing would come to an end, the Nigerian govt should decentralize Lagos state as the commercial capital of Nigeria and diversify into other parts of Nigeria
If u tell them now, they no go gree
Waiting for someone to come and quote me

Security agents and traffic officers are feeding fat from the gridlock, imagine paying 100k to pass one-way in other to avoid the gridlock.




You are very correct