Apapa Customs Deepens Partnership With Stakeholders to Enhance Rail Cargo Operations
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has held a strategic engagement with key stakeholders aimed at enhancing trade facilitation and optimising cargo movement via rail transport.
Details of the engagement were shared in a press release issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Tunde Ayagbalo.
The meeting, which took place at the Command headquarters on Wednesday, brought together representatives from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), clearing agents, freight forwarders, and other relevant players in the cargo logistics chain.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, explained that the initiative aligns with the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, to improve logistics using a multimodal transport approach.
“Recall that rail has been in operation for quite a while, so we want to fine tune the process to improve our trade objectives,” Olomu said. “When we have a seamless trade process, it will benefit our stakeholders who are here today.”
He also expressed appreciation for the commitment of the stakeholders in attendance, describing their presence as a “confidence booster” that strengthens the collective goal of achieving efficient cargo movement.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the Head of Operations, Akin Oshinowo, acknowledged the longstanding collaboration between the NRC and the NCS.
“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,” Oshinowo stated. “The discussion we had today aligns with the NRC’s objectives and supports the renewed hope agenda for rail transportation in Nigeria.”
Stakeholders at the meeting welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to reduce importation costs and boost the overall efficiency of cargo distribution within the country.
The engagement also featured an interactive session, during which attendees discussed existing challenges in rail-based cargo movement and suggested practical solutions for improvement.
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