THE Minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Amaechi has commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for promoting Dry Port and Truck Transit Park (TTP) in Kaduna State and across the country.

Speaking yesterday in Kaduna at the collaborative seminar organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Inland Container Nigeria Limited (ICNL), Amaechi said the project would provide stimulus to the economy of the state and the country at large.

The seminar was entitled, “The Emergence of Inland Dry Port in Promoting International Trade and Enhancing Hinterland Shipping.”

The minister stated that the Dry Port and TTP projects were conceived as part of solution to the problem of hinterland shippers’ inadequate access to seaports and frequent congestion, adding that frequent congestion at seaports had led to loss, carnage, and accidents of cargo in transit on land mode.

He said: “It is pertinent to note that for this and similar projects to succeed, there must be an administrative as well as operational collaboration with the stakeholders. I am happy to observe that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is already collaborating with Nigerian Railway Corporation, Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure that it succeeds.”

Earlier in his speech, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Alhaji Hassan Bello commended the Kaduna State Government for its active role in the successful upgrading and gazetting of the bonded terminal to Inland Dry Port with full status of Port of Origin and final destination.