By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to extend the current railway line in Apapa Port to Tincan and Ijegun ports in Lagos State.
The call followed the adoption of a motion by Mr Oghene Egoh at Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja.
Speaking on the motion, Mr Egoh noted that the Tincan Port is the second busiest port in Nigeria after the Apapa Port, stating that it has a storage capacity of 28,000 metric tonnes of grain.
“The terminal handles wheat, maize and malt and could take delivery of about 4000 metric tonnes of grain daily, the port facilities could handle ships of about 30,000 tones.
“Currently, Ijegun Port absorbs 25 per cent of the 60 per cent of the nation’s petroleum products and will be able to absorb 50 per cent with greater co-operation from the government,” he informed his colleagues.
The lawmaker further said that the Lagos-Kano railway line under construction was 2,700 kilometres in length and that an extension of 15 kilometres railway line from the Apapa Port to Tincan Island Port and Ijegun Port in Satellite Town would be of huge economic benefits to the nation.
Mr Egoh stressed that the rail line would enable the government to move more goods to other parts of the country and reduce damage to the roads.
After his motion and contributions from others, the lower chamber of the National Assembly adopted it and urged the federal government to extend the rail line from Apapa Port through Tincan Port to Ijegun Port tankers terminal in Satellite Town.
They also urged the Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to include the construction of a railway line from Apapa Port to Ijegun Port through Tincan Port in the 2022 budget.
The House mandated the Committees on Legislative Compliance and Land Transport to ensure compliance.
Dipo Olowookere