China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has officially launched its cargo freight service on the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, marking a major development in Nigeria’s logistics and transportation sector.
The inaugural journey began at the Ajuba Bonded Terminal, where cargo was transported to Apapa Port in Lagos. Upon arrival, goods were unloaded, and import containers were loaded for the return trip to Ajuba, creating a seamless import-export logistics cycle. CCECC’s representative in Nigeria, John Zhao, announced the development on Friday via his official X account.
The freight service launch follows the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s (NRC) approval of a three-year operational license for CCECC, effective from October 14, 2024, to October 13, 2027. This makes CCECC the first company authorized to operate standard-gauge rail freight services in Nigeria.
The Lagos-Ibadan Railway, constructed by CCECC and launched in June 2021, spans 157 kilometers with a 7-kilometer branch line. Designed for speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, the railway connects Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, to Ibadan, a key industrial city in the southwest. By March 5, 2024, it had transported over 2 million passengers and operated safely for 1,000 days, according to CCECC.
In a related development, the NRC and APM Terminals Apapa relaunched the Apapa-Ibadan standard-gauge freight rail service in February 2025. This service, running on a fixed schedule every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, further strengthens freight logistics along the rail corridor.
