The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has pledged to ensure all Inland Dry Ports across the country are fully digitalized and served with intermodal transport connectivity.
The Council also vowed to ensure that dry ports across the country are compliant with the provisions of the operational manual for the IDPs and to function 247 effectively as transit facilities.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Council Emmanuel Jime disclosed this on Thursday in Katsina State during the official declaration ceremony of Funtua Inland Dry Port as a port of origin and final destination for import and export cargo.
Jime explained that the Council is saddled with the responsibility of economic regulation of the port sector and spearheading efforts by the Federal Government to facilitate the development of Inland Dry Ports in Nigeria.
He further called on other state governments where Inland Dry Ports are located in the country to emulate the good work of the Katsina State Government in ensuring the urgent and successful completion of the IDP projects in their respective states.
He also urged other concessionaires of the IDP to step up the development of their sites to ensure the urgent actualisation of the projects.
On his part, the Minister of Transportation Mu’azu Jaji Sambo while performing the declaration ceremony, announced that Katsina State is not only suited but most qualified for an Inland Dry Port.
He described the state as the largest producer of cowpea and second largest producer of sorghum which also produces almost 13 percent of Nigeria’s sugarcane.
“The world bank ranked Katsina State 7th in the ease of doing business ahead of Lagos, Kano, Rivers, and Cross Rivers.
“The state also ranked 12th in micro, small, and medium enterprises among other rankings; and the major producer of other cereals and legumes, crops, and several other manufacturing industries.
“The Katsina port project was conceived as part of the Federal Government’s port reform program and the transport sector designed to among others decongest the seaports, promote efficient transportation, ensure cost effectiveness at the ports, and bring in shipping services to the doorsteps of shippers across the country,” he added.
In his Keynote address, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari believed that the occasion signifies the government’s desire to uplift the living standard of people through the initiation and concession of laudable programs and actions that have a direct bearing on the socioeconomic activities of people in the state.
The governor represented by the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry Musa Sule restated the readiness and willingness of his administration to contribute to the success of the project for the benefit of the state, the neighboring states, and the country at large.
“From the inception of the project, the state government provided a substantial amount of two million, nine hundred and eighty-two thousand, three hundred and twenty naira for payment of compensation for 16.268 hectares of land acquired for the project from the land owners.
“Another additional payment of nineteen million, seven hundred and sixty-four thousand, three hundred and thirty-six naira was made in March 2006 for compensation of additional land for the extension of the project,” he noted.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the newly declared Funtua Inland Dry Port Umar Mutallab went down memory lane on how the 17-year-old project started after meeting the requirements and paying huge fees both in naira and dollars.
He expressed gratitude to all Katsina State administrations from 2003 to date for their determination to continue with the project, stating that the concession license was issued in 2003 and the agreement was signed in 2006.
Dr. Mutallab further highlighted numerous benefits the Port will bring to Katsina State, neighboring Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi, and neighboring countries of Niger, Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
“The generation of new economic activities such as import/export, employment, revenue generation, transportation, banking/insurance, clearing, and forwarding,” he noted.