The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi says Nigeria Customs Service has agreed to demolish the old scanner centre obstructing the laying of tracks into the Apapa port.
Amaechi said the process would be done within six months.
He disclosed this in Lagos Southwest Nigeria after a technical meeting with stakeholders on ways to resolve the challenges affecting the completion of the third track that leads to Apapa Port.
Temporary alternative route
The Minister said that the decision was reached to create a temporary alternative route inside the port during the period of the demolition.
”We have decided in the meeting that a temporary alternative route be established inside the port while they start demolition, after which the rail track would be laid and also a survey will be done under the water to find out about the cracks.
“We have also decided that the drainage should be expanded to accommodate more water to reduce the flood on the rail track. There are three tracks, only one track is not able to enter the port which will be resolved. They should be able to remove the customs building in six months,” he said.
Amaechi said that inspite of the delay in completion of the last track, the inauguration would hold as the two tracks that lead to the Apapa port had already been completed.
The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria said that rail transportation system would facilitate easier movement of passengers and goods in the Country.
Okhiria stated that rail need to access the port for ships to load directly to the rail tracks .
The NRC boss said that ”making use of rail to convey containers from the ports would reduce multiple handling of goods as well as decongesting perennial traffic gridlock along the port corridor.”
He noted that freight operation directly from the port would reduce cost of doing business and increase government revenue.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
