The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a $45.3 million contract for the feasibility study and engineering design of a rail route connecting four major seaports in the South West—Badagry Deep Sea Port, Tin Can Island Port, Lagos Port Complex Apapa, and Lekki Port—to the hinterlands.
The Minister of Transportation Saidu Alkali disclosed this during a television interview on Tuesday.
Alkali explained that the proposed rail alignment would run from Badagry Deep Sea Port through Tin Can Island Port, Lagos Port Complex Apapa, and Lekki Deep Sea Port, extending to Ijebu-Ode and Kajola.
It would then link to the Lagos-Kano-Maradi Railway Modernisation Project, integrating the western seaports into the national rail network to enhance freight movement and economic growth.
Currently, only the Lagos Port Complex Apapa is connected to the rail network, with a standard gauge track inside APM Terminals facilitating freight movement between Lagos and Ibadan.
Additionally, a rehabilitated narrow-gauge railway is operational for cargo transportation from Lagos to Kano.
The minister emphasised that linking all four western seaports to the hinterlands would significantly boost Nigeria’s GDP and stimulate economic activity.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.
