Maritime players have applauded the Nigerian Shippers Council’s plans to build an inland dry port in Nasarawa State.
The PUNCH reported that Rotimi Hassan, the Managing Director of Kaduna Inland Dry Port, Rotimi Hassan, praised the NSC’s decision.
He said, “It is a good move by the government, but I would also advise the government to look at the ones they have established and how they are performing, as well as their challenges in order to address them.
“The purpose of a dry port is to function as both an origin and a destination port. This means that you can export from there to other ports as well as receive consignments straight to the location. The NSC is really making an effort, but it should check into these issues.”
Recall that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council encouraged the establishment of IDP projects in several states, including Aba, Erunmu, Ibadan, Jos, Zawachiki, Kano, Funtua, Katsina, Jauri, Maiduguri, and Kaduna State.
The concept was to move shipping facilities closer to the hinterlands while also decongesting seaports.
Recently, the Nasarawa State Government showed desire to collaborate with the NSC to facilitate the establishment of an IDP in the State to enhance the state economy.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NSC’s Assistant Director of Public Relations, Rebecca Adamu, stated that the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Pius Akutah, revealed this following a closed-door meeting with the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule.
Akutah intimated that the governor had already provided guidelines on how the project could be implemented to benefit state shippers.
He also stated that the state was a supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Area pact and would work to raise awareness about the value of the trade pact for the state’s exporters.
The NSC boss claimed that the dry ports project in several regions of the country will expand employment prospects for Nigerians and generate significant money for the government.
