Steen Knudsen, the terminal manager for APMT in Apapa, Lagos in an interview said cargo evacuation via rail is not only economical but also environmentally benign.
He claimed that the Federal Government’s building of the new standard gauge railway, which would offer a cheap way to transport freight inland from the port, was essential to strengthening the Nigerian economy.
The decision, according to the Apapa APMT head, is also consistent with the business’s goal of making its entire supply chain environmentally friendly by utilising the synergies of carrying more goods at once.
Knudsen said the terminal had deployed international best practises in facilitating trade in Nigeria.
He said, “While a narrow-gauge railway line connecting to Kano is in operation at the terminal, the construction of the new standard gauge line by the Federal Government will further enhance the delivery of cargo through the rail.
“Once the standard gauge becomes operational, we are hopeful that a lot more cargo will move on the rail which will also help our green agenda because moving cargo on rail is much more environmentally friendly than by trucks.”
He said the terminal had invested a lot in the area of trade facilitation to ensure that importers enjoy seamless services.
Knudsen added that “A berthing window has also been provided at the terminal for both deep sea vessels as well as barges, to help create more efficient flows of containers, thereby removing costs and waste from the supply chain.
“In addition to that, we continue to expand our barging traffic so we can also penetrate the areas both east and west of the terminal and ensure that our customers can take possession of their cargo in areas that are closer to their warehouses.”
Knudsen said the terminal in 2021 introduced a berthing window service to enable consignees to take prompt delivery of their cargo, by eliminating waiting time for vessels.
