NRC

NRC Records 2,181,950 Passengers Traffic on South West Routes in two years 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Following a continuous increase in awareness and free rides introduced by the Federal Government to encourage more passengers on train routes, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has successfully recorded high passenger traffic of 2,181,950 on its South West Routes in two years. 

A breakdown – the Corporation recorded a total of 693,226 Passengers travelling on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge train between January 2021 and  December 2022. 173,488 passengers in 2021 and 519,738 in 2022.

While on Lagos – Ijoko in Ogun State, the corporation had a traffic record of 524,093 passengers on the Mass Transit train in 2021 and 964,631 passengers in 2022.

District Manager, NRC, Mr. Augustin Arisa, District Manager, for the Corporation disclosed this in Lagos, adding that the increase in number of passengers in 2022 was due to the awareness and free rides organised by the Federal Government towards the end of 2021 through first week of January 2022.

Arisa said the corporation runs four trips daily from Lagos to Ijoko in order to meet up target. Two trips in the morning between 6.30 a.m. and 7.00 a.m., and another two trips between 5.30pm and 6.00 respectively.

To him, “Standard Gauge fare from Lagos to Ibadan (Mobolaji Johnson, Ebute -Meta to Obafemi Awolowo Station in Moniya) cost N9,000 for executive class; N6,500 on Business class; N3,600 for standard class and N3,000 for standard class for minors. 

“From Lagos to Abeokuta (Mobolaji Johnson Ebute-Meta to Prof. Wole Soyinka Station in Abeokuta) ticket fare is N6,000 for executive class, N4,500 on business class; N3,000 for standard and minor N2,000.

“From Abeokuta to Ibadan the standard gauge fare is N3000 for executive, N2,000 for business class and N1,000 for standard class.”

The corporation would continue to create more awareness on its services, adding that various social media platforms have been adopted to create awareness for the public. “Besides movement of goods will soon commence on Standard Gauge,” he said. 

However, on security level of the route, Arisa noted that the corporation had put in place measures to tackle any form of vandalism on NRC properties by hoodlums and further urged miscreant to steer clear of Federal Government properties which was constructed for the benefits of the citizens.

Funtua Inland Port

FG Declares Funtua Inland Facility as 'Port of Origin' 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Years after the establishment of the Funtua Inland Dry Port, Katsina State, the Federal Government has declared the Port as a port of origin and final destination for import and export of cargoes.

The declaration was made by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Samboon on behalf of the Federal Government. 

The Inland Dry Port which has the facility to operate shipping businesses including clearing and forwarding of cargo directly from anywhere in the world, was initially referred to as Funtua Container Freight Station. 

It was approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2006 alongside other inland dry ports in the country but was later converted converted to an Inland Dry Port owing to the fact that the critical transport infrastructure was based on the strategic framework of Build, Own, Operate and Transfer( BOOT)

In making the declaration, the Minister relied on the power conferred on him as Minister of Transportation by section 30 of the Nigerian Ports Authority Act, Cap. N126 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. 

Sambo explained that the Funtua Inland Dry Port would be a Customs port in accordance with the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap. C45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and would have all the prerequisites of an international port.

He affirmed that Katsina State known for its commercial domain in the Trans-Saharan trade route with huge agricultural produce and trade in local and export volumes, qualified it for an Inland Dry Port.

He said national and international maritime practitioners, shippers, shipping companies, landlocked countries and port users should take full advantage of the port for import and export of their cargoes.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said the declaration of Funtua Inland Dry Port as a port of origin and final destination, was another milestone achievement for the intermodal transportation system in the country.

Her words, “the Funtua Inland Dry Port will further unlock the economic potentials of Nigeria and facilitate trade with the land-locked countries like Niger and Chad Republic. The Port will provide importers and exporters located within the nation’s hinterland access to shipping and port services without physically being at the seaports”.

Other benefits of the Funtua Inland Dry Port,  the Permanent Secretary said, are that the project will promote the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and economic integration as well as further support the Presidential Business Enabling Environment Council (PEBEC). 

The Governor of Kastina State, Aminu Bello Masari, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Alh. Musa Sule, in his presentation, noted that the State Government, as part of its contribution to the project, facilitated 16.2 hectares of land and also paid compensation to the land owners.

He said the Katsina State Government took the step based on the conviction that when fully operational, the Port will create employment for the immediate community and its environs, support the revenue base of the State and facilitate trade within and outside the country.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Emmanuel Jime advised States that they were allocated Inland Dry Ports but were yet to develop them, to expedite action on the project to bring shipping closer to importers and exporters in their State.