Jos, Dala inland dry ports to be completed in Q2, says NSC

The Executive-Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Emmanuel Jime, has disclosed that the Jos Heipang and Dala Inland Dry Ports (IDP) projects in Plateau and Kano states would be delivered in the second quarter of 2022.

Jime, who disclosed this while unfolding his management’s aspirations and agenda for the next four years, said work was in appreciable progress in both ports.

The NSC is the promoter of inland dry ports and Vehicle Transit Areas (VTA) in Nigeria. The projects are aimed at reducing seaport congestion, bringing shipping services closer to the hinterland and safe carriage of goods from the ports to other parts of Nigeria.

According to the Shippers’ Council boss, the plan of his management is to ensure the completion of construction and commencement of operations of at least four IDPs and two VTAs in Nigeria, during his first four years in office, as well as build and operate at least two Border Information Centers in the next two years.

Jime said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is expected to grant approval for the commencement of the construction and development of the N35.8 billion Ibadan Inland Dry Port (IDP) project in Oyo State this month.

He said this is because the process of commencing the Ibadan IDP project has been on course while the Full Business Case (FBC) has been submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transportation even as the Transaction Advisers have submitted their report.

Other IDPs, being promoted, including the ones in Erunmu in Ibadan, Isiala Ngwa, Aba and Jauri, Maiduguri among others, are in various stages of development and are expected to also come on stream much later, according to the NSC boss.