Transport
$1.6bn standard guage: Port rail track for completion in two weeks
…Reaffirms NPA’s position on Tincan Island port quay reconstruction
The Minister of State for Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, on Monday assured Nigerians that the rail track that led to the Apapa Port terminals would be completed in two weeks.
Saraki made the assurance when she led some officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation to Apapa Port Terminals through the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Rail Station in Lagos.
She said the Project Manager, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Mr Xia Lijun, had given her the assurance that the laid track would be completed in the next two weeks.
“As you can see, the building belonging to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Scanner Centre needs to be pulled down but there has been issues surrounding it.
“I have been able to see the situation and upon my return to Abuja, the ministry will meet with Management of NCS and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
“Before the end of next week, solution to improve the construction at the Apapa rail track will be provided and the rail will be operational in two weeks,” Saraki said.
Saraki, noting the need for the demolition of the Customs scanner centre, stressed the importance of ensuring that the demolition was done safely without destroying the customs equipment.
She added that after the demolition of the centre, the ministry would come back for inspection, to ensure that the scanners were relocated to a safer place.
Also during her tour of the Lagos Port Complexes – Tin-Can Island and Apapa Port, the Minister reaffirmed the position of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), for the total reconstruction of Quay walls of the TinCan Island Port Complex which have become weak due to age.
The Minister said, “we cannot build on a weak foundation, it is vital that we get these two very important ports modernised and ready to berth modern vessels. The state of the Ports shows decades of neglect but it’s better late than never.”
The position is very much in harmony with that of the Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello Koko who had allayed fears of the imminent collapse of the Tin-Can Island Island Port Complex as the Authority is already at conclusive stages concluding funding options which includes talks with competent multilateral funding institutions and the possibility of the Authority using a percentage of the revenue or transfers to CRF to fund the reconstruction .
It will be recall that Bello-Koko had on several interactions drawn attention to the fact that “although the NPA had over the years been undertaking remedial works on the quays, the time has come for a wholistic reconstruction and the Authority is working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation on the most prudent funding option.”
Bello Koko said “We are on the verge of concluding discussions with multilateral funding agencies to fund the reconstruction. The other option is to go to the government to request that the NPA be allowed to use a certain percentage of its revenue which is transferred to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF) on yearly basis to fund the reconstruction. We transfer about N60 billion a year and we can use about 50 percent of that to repair Tin-Can.
Another option is to do hybrid funding where NPA funds part and multilateral agencies fund the rest,” he said.
He said the final option is for the terminal operators to fund the reconstruction but the issue is that not all the terminal operators have the same financial capacity or will be able to source funds at the same time.
To him, the NPA does not want a haphazard reconstruction because starting Terminal A without Funding for reconstruction of terminal B may affect the safety and integrity of the berths neighbouring berth , adding that the process will be properly coordinated working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation to make a decision that would be taken at the right time and properly.
“ Cognisant of the urgency of the situation on ground we might soon be seeking for Federal Executive Council for approvals. We have started working on securing a wholistic interim and conceptual design for the port, and we will eventually get the final design on move unto the Procurement process,” he added.
Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced a reduction in the fare on the Blue line train to N375 from the actual N750 fare for a complete trip along the first phase.
This is with respect to the 50 per cent discount subsidy palliative from the Lagos State Government to ease the burden of rising cost of living on Lagos residents.
The Governor yesterday led hundreds of Lagosians, consisting of members of the public, the media, and other sectoral stakeholders to herald the commencement of commercial passenger operations of the first phase of the Lagos Blue Line rail services on Monday, September 4, 2023, with a train ride from the iconic Marina train station to the Mile 2 terminal station.
The Lagos Blue Line is one of the six identified Rail routes in the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Masterplan designed to alleviate challenges of mass transit across the city of Lagos. It would be recalled that the electricity powered high-speed metro train system was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari on January 24, 2022, while the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), through its Managing Director, Engineer Abimbola Akinajo, had announced the much-awaited take-off of passenger operations at a press conference on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
The Governor, who attended the milestone occasion along with the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat; the First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and other dignitaries in the State expressed excitement over the commencement of the Blue Line rail saying, “It’s been a wonderful experience personally for me this morning, and for almost all the 500 passengers.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians of maximum security, safety, and convenience on the train.
“As you can see, the whole place is well secured. There are men of the Nigerian Police, there are Neighourhood Watch. And they also have private security operatives that are all there. The stations are clean, and we are all good to go. With your Cowry Card you are good to go. So, let’s go out there and get our Cowry Card and top it up so we can enjoy integrated urban mass transportation system that we have talked about,” he urged Lagosians.
Passengers are only allowed to get on the train with the Cowry Card or the LASSRA Identification Card.
The Governor also charged Lagosians to be safety conscious and conduct themselves with utmost care around the infrastructure, noting that the train tracks are electrified and therefore should not be crossed for any reason, neither for buying nor selling purposes.
Governor Sanwo-Olu took the opportunity to provide update to Lagosians on the first phase of the Red Line, another route of the LRMT running from Agbado to Oyingbo.
“The Red Line is about 95 percent ready, and when it gets to 100 percent, we will commission it. We are certain that before the end of the year, we will commission the Red Line,” he said.
“By the end of this month we will start commissioning the bridges: Ikeja-Along Bridge, Oyingbo Bridge, Yaba Bridge, Mushin Bridge, Ayoola-Coker Bridge. We will start opening the bridges for vehicular movement,” he disclosed.
Three trains are available for the Blue Line operations now, with each having a capacity to move 1,000 passengers per trip and an estimated combined total of 150,000 passengers daily.
Daily services on the first phase of the Blue Line will start from 6:30 am for the Mile-2 to Marina trip, and 7:03 am for the return. With stops at the Alaba, Iganmu, and National Theatre stations, the 13-km stretch takes less than 30 minutes on the Lagos Blue Line.
SIFAX Logistics Company Limited, the haulage subsidiary of SIFAX Group, has boosted its operations with the acquisition of 13 brand new trucks.
The trucks, which are 33 tons 6×4 MAN diesel vehicles with 400 horsepower, will help the company increase its market share and competitiveness in long-distance and interstate deliveries. This acquisition now brings the trucks in the company’s fleet to 114.
According to Adewale Adetayo, General Manager, SIFAX Logistics Company Limited, the truck additions became necessary due to the upsurge in demand for the company’s haulage services across the country.
He said, “In order to maintain our market dominance and expansion to various new routes within the country, management decided to embark on the purchase of these new trucks.
“Our target is to expand rapidly and we have mapped out a strategic plan to acquire 200 new trucks before the end of the 2024 business year.
“This will be done in phases and we have started with 13 for now. We hope to buy another 20 in the next phase of our acquisition plan.”
Speaking on the brand of trucks purchased, Adetayo said the company went for the MAN diesel brand, which is a German product, because of its high rating in the logistics ecosystem, durability, load-bearing capability, driving stability and adaptability.
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, SIFAX Group noted that the company has always braved the odds to invest more in the Nigerian economy during downtimes.
“We are aware many businesses are not favourably disposed to investing at this moment due to the prevailing economic reality. But the reality is that some economic activities like production and movement of goods will almost always demand for haulage services even in challenging times.
“We are scaling up through the acquisition of these trucks because of the huge potential in the industry.
“The economic outlook for the country is looking bright and we know that once the economy bounces back, we would reap the rewards of our investments.
“Many businesses, both existing and potential clients, continue to reach out to us due to the credibility and efficiency we have achieved over the years. To meet these agreements, we need a larger fleet,” he noted.
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has said he will ensure oceans and marine were safe, reliable, and sustainable across the nation.
Oyetola made the declaration when he assumed office on Monday in Abuja.
According to him, oceans hold the key to sustainable economic growth, environmental preservation, and technological innovation.
“Our oceans cover more than two-thirds of African planet’s surface.
“As we look ahead, my vision is rooted in the responsible management and utilisation of our marine resources to benefit not only our economy but also the health of our planet.
“Experts say the blue economy is estimated to be worth more than 1.5 trillion Dollars per year globally.
“Therefore, given our size as a country and considering the size of our blue economy, we should be a significant player in this sector,” the minister said.
He said the sector has potentials to contribute immensely to revenue generation and provide jobs for the unemployed.
He said the nation ought to come up with practicable ways of ensuring the nation‘s inland rivers, lakes, and waterways were well utilised, both in terms of cargo shipment and passenger transportation.
“And this can be done by embarking on a holistic dredging campaign for most of our strategically important inland waterways so as to make them navigable for the passage of goods and people.
“We equally have a duty to promote better inter-agency cooperation and coordination between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority.
“As someone with a strong private sector background, we shall promote greater private sector inclusion while fostering greater efficiency through specialisation and the effective delineation of core duties between the units,” he said.
According to him, the nation will seize this opportunity to create positive change by leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Oyetola called for cooperation of the staff toward national development.
“ I appreciate your dedication, and I look forward to working alongside each of you in the pursuit of a better Nigeria. I must say that I am privileged to be joining this amazing team as the team leader.
“I want you to know that I am here to support you, to listen to your ideas, and to champion the growth of our marine resources. Together, we shall embark on a journey that holds immense promise and responsibility.
“ I believe that when we are able to do all these and more, we will have contributed our own quota toward realising the President’s renewed Hope Agenda in the Marine and Blue Economy sector,” he said.
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