The Nigerian
Railway Corporation (NRC) is partnering the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for
haulage of cassava chips to the world.
NRC in a press
statement made available to NaijaAgroNet
revealed that the first train of 160 tonnes of cassava chips has been moved to
Lagos Seaport from Ilorin, for later exportation to Asia.
A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the corporation and the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture in a bid to actualize the transformation agenda of the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture with respect to cassava export.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that part of the
ministry's agenda is large scale exportation of cassava as well as other
agrarian products of comparative advantage to the global market.
Commenting on
the MoU, the NRC's managing director, Engr. Adeseyi Sijuwade affirmed that
empty wagons would no longer return to Lagos as they would be hauling cassava
chips from Ilorin to Lagos seaport.
"In our
strategic effort to improve our revenue base through optimal mobilization of
movable assets and other facilities," Engr. Sijuwade said, adding that
trains that move Lafarge Cements to Ilorin will be the same set of trains that
would be used in moving the chips to Lagos seaport.
Sijuwade also
assured the Federal Ministry of Agriculture of the corporation's readiness to
fulfill its own side of the deal while urging cassava farmers to make the best
use of the opportunity for a competitive global trading.
Yinka Awosanya
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