APM Terminals Apapa has announced plans to move 60 per cent of its export containers by rail and commence round-the-clock barge operations in the Q4 of 2026 as part of efforts to ease bottlenecks in Nigeria’s export logistics chain.
The terminal disclosed this at the third edition of its Exporters Forum, themed ‘Exports – Voice of Customers Forum’, which brought together exporters, shipping lines, logistics operators, regulators, industry stakeholders and academia.
Head of Commercial, APM Terminals Apapa, Kayode Olufemi-Daniel, said the terminal was adopting a collaborative approach to addressing challenges affecting the movement of export cargo.
He said the forum was designed to identify the causes of delays in the export process and develop practical measures with stakeholders to improve cargo flow.
‘We want to understand the pain points with the export process end to end. From there, we look at the root causes of those pain points, identify those root causes, then collectively come up with an action plan on how we can address those issues to increase the export flow,’ he said.
Olufemi-Daniel said the terminal would also expand its barging operations through its dedicated Finger Jetty, which is expected to begin 24-hour operations in the fourth quarter.
He said the facility would handle both incoming and outgoing containers, allowing exporters to move cargo into the terminal, while importers could evacuate containers and bring in empty containers around the clock.
‘This gives us the capacity to handle more barges unlike the past when we had to do barging on our main quay
‘We now have additional barging capacity which will be operated on our Finger Jetty,’ he said.
He said the terminal was also strengthening communication with shipping lines, exporters, importers and regulatory agencies to improve cargo visibility and streamline operations.
Olufemi-Daniel said the goal was to attract more exporters back to Apapa and position the terminal as a major gateway for Nigeria’s exports.
‘We want exporters to come back to Apapa. We want the volumes to come back, which is why we want to ensure the ease of doing business.
‘We want Apapa to become Nigeria’s export gateway, particularly as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to diversify the economy and increase non-oil exports,’ he said.
On rail evacuation, Key Client Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Adesoji Olaniyan, said the terminal had set a target of moving 60 per cent of its export containers by rail.
He said the terminal currently operates rail evacuation arrangements through two locations, where customers can collect empty containers, stuff them and return laden export containers to the terminal by rail.
According to him, each location records about three weekly rail calls, depending on demand, with each train capable of carrying approximately 60 TEUs.
Olaniyan said the terminal’s assessment showed that rail remained the most cost-effective option for cargo evacuation.
Participants at the forum commended APM Terminals for providing a platform for stakeholders to discuss operational challenges and monitor the implementation of previous recommendations.
COSCO Shipping Lines Nigeria Customer Service Manager, Precious Idika, said the terminal’s Team View portal had simplified some processes for customers, particularly the gating process.
She said the platform enabled customers to complete payment advice while shipping lines could update relevant information, helping to facilitate access to the terminal.
A Lagos Business School faculty member, Prof. Frank Ojadi, described the forum as an important channel for sustained engagement between the terminal and its stakeholders.
Ojadi, however, urged APM Terminals to extend the initiative beyond Lagos to major commercial and export-producing centres such as Kano and Port Harcourt.