The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is to commence haulage of petroleum products and agricultural produce across the country, the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar, has said.
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The minister said this in Ilorin yesterday at the twin flag-off of Ilorin-Lagos weekly passenger train service and the launch of Ewekoro-Ilorin weekly cement haulage.
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The flag-off recorded the haulage of 600 metric tonnes of Lafarge cement from Ewekoro, Ogun State to Ilorin.
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The minister, who was represented by the director of Transport, Planning and Coordination in the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, said the government’s initiative was designed to enhance the economic development of the country.
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“The haulage activity of the NRC is to cover every aspect of our economy. The Lafarge/ WAPCO Cement Company only partnered with the corporation. We are going to embark on the movement of petroleum products and agricultural produce among others,’’ he said.
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NRC managing director, Mr Adeseyi Sijuade, disclosed that the corporation had ordered for 20 pressurised tank wagons to be used for the movement of petroleum products in the country.
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Sijuade also said that the corporation would soon complete the rehabilitation and provision of special waggons for the movement of agricultural produce on weekly basis in the country.
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He said that the NRC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU ), with the Osun government to move farm produce from the state to Lagos.
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Sijuade noted that the Ilorin-Lagos weekly passenger train launched on Friday conveyed 3,000 passengers from Lagos to Ilorin for the Eid-El-Kabir celebration.
He also said that the weekly cement haulage would also help to reduce the price of the product in Ilorin and its environs. (NAN)
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