NAN-H-50
Haulage
By Kazeem Akande/Uchediunor Augusta
Lagos, March 1, 2018 (NAN) Alhaji Abubakar Sanusi, Chief Executive Officer, Gamji Group of Companies, has called on the Federal Government to invest more in rail haulage to advance the nation’s economy.
Sanusi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
He advised the government to intensify investment in railway transport for efficient transportation of goods across Nigeria.
“Government should invest reasonably on railway haulage, which is the practice in China, India and some other countries.
“Railway is key to economic advancement especially in highly populated African countries such as Nigeria,’’ he said.
Sanusi added that more investment on rail transport would reduce road repairs.
He said that it would also reduce the cost of goods and services as a result of minimal charges by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).
The transport operator said that he had been partnering with NRC on rail freight service in the past 12 years.
“The mass movement of containers will tackle the challenges of high cost of goods and services because rail transport is cheaper, safer and reliable; thus, having positive effects on the cost of goods and services.
“Rail is the cheapest means of transportation; It is good for our economy by linking the six geo-political zones together for movement of goods and services,’’ he said.
Meanwhile the NRC says it transported more than 3,360 containers from the Apapa Port in Lagos, to Ebute Meta, Lagos, and Ijoko in Ogun last year.
The NRC Lagos District Manager, Mr Jerry Oche, told NAN that the freight service had helped in reducing influx of articulated vehicles into the port.
“We have transported about 3,360 containers from Apapa to Ebute Meta and Ijoko, depending on the agreement with the owners.
“The service consists of movement of containers from Apapa to various district offices where articulated vehicles could start transporting them to their various destinations.
“The shuttle services run a number of trains into the port and bring out goods to decongest the port.
“We run about three trains a day, each carrying about 20 containers to relieve the congestion at the port,’’ the NRC boss said (NAN).
AKA/ANU/ENN/IGO
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Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Ijeoma Popoola