Apapa Customs partners stakeholders to boost rail cargo transport
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has restated its determination working with other stakeholders towards enhancing trade facilitation and optimising cargo movement via rail.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, stated this at an engagement with stakeholders on boosting transportation of cargo by rail.
The engagement, held at the Command on Wednesday, 11 June 2025, was attended by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), clearing agents, and freight forwarders, among others.
Comptroller Olomu said the meeting was in line with the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, to improve logistics through multimodal transport systems.
Olomu stated “Recall that rail has been in operation for quite a while, so we want to fine-tune the process to improve our trade objectives. When we have a seamless trade process, it will benefit our stakeholders who are here today.”
He also lauded the commitment of the partners present at the meeting, describing their participation as a “confidence booster” that reinforces the shared goal of efficient cargo movement.
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The representative of the NRC, the Head of Operations, Akin Oshinawo, reiterated the agency’s longstanding cooperation with the Service. “We have always found a willing partner in the Comptroller and his men, which forms part of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) established years ago.
“The discussion we had today aligns with the NRC’s objectives and supports the renewed hope agenda for rail transportation in Nigeria,” he said.
Stakeholders commended the initiative, noting its potential to reduce the cost of imports and improve the overall efficiency of cargo distribution.
The National Coordinator of the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers & Exporters Coalition, Dr Osita Chukwu, said “With what the government is doing, we hope it will not be limited to just one region but extended across the entire country, as is the case elsewhere.”
The engagement featured an interactive session during which participants discussed the challenges facing cargo rail transport and proposed actionable solutions for improvement.
