Importers want rail contractor to avoid disrupting container delivery at Apapa Port

Importers and licensed Customs agents at the Lagos Port Complex Apapa have appealed to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the construction of rail line at the port to avoid disrupting movement of containers in and out of the port.

They are afraid that the disruption of the movement of containers at the nation’s busiest seaport could further increase the prices of goods in the market, worsen inflation in the country and compound the Apapa gridlock.

Recall that the importers in November 2020 had lamented the inability to conclude their transactions, while loaded trucks could not also exit the port when CCECC mobilised to site, blocked terminal truck exit gate and began demolition of structures. The blockade also made it impossible for empty trucks to enter the terminal to pick up containers for delivery to their owners.

Speaking on the development in Lagos, Godwin Onyekazi, president of the Nigerian Importers Integrity Association (NIIA), said there were reports of plans to demolish the container terminal exit gate.

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“We commend the Federal Government for the drive to link the port to the rail line. This is commendable and you will recall that we have, at various times, made the case for multimodal transportation in the country. The overdependence on road for the delivery of goods in and out of the port is neither economical nor sustainable. We want to see goods come into the port or leave the port more by the waterways and railway,” he said.

He, however, argued that the rail project should be handled in such a manner that it does not lead to a blockade of the port as seen at Tin-can, which is almost totally blocked due to bad roads and rent-seeking on the port access road. Onyekazi argued that if the Apapa port be blocked like Tin-can, the Apapa gridlock and prices of good would become worsen.

“In this case, the final consumers will pay more for goods in the market. This will certainly not be in the best interest of our economy. We, therefore, appeal to the railway contractor to execute its task in a way that does not disrupt the inflow and outflow of cargo. This is important to avoid creating a situation where importers will be compelled to pay more in freight costs, haulage, storage and demurrage charges,” he said.

Also speaking, Monday Ekanem, a clearing agent at the Apapa port, who raised the alarm about the blockade of the port in November, said CCECC ‘owed an obligation to the shipping community and Nigerians not to make life unbearable for the port users.