In a strategic move to take back its once commercial dominance in the Sahel Region of Africa, Kano state governor,Abdullahi Ganduje has unveiled the Dala Inland Dry Port ,IDP, logo.
The exercise is meant to set up Kano State for economic transformation in the nearest future as it targets decongestion of the Lagos Seaport, ease of movement of cargo to hinterland locations as well as transit cargoes to landlocked countries.
Ganduje while speaking during the “Dala Dry Port and Kano Economic and Diaspora investment summit 2022” on Monday in Abuja, stated that
“We appreciate the Rail revolution project which shall change the dynamics and also particularly, the Dala Inland Dry Port which shall be the game changer. With a functional Rail line from Lagos or other seaports to Kano inland port and from Kano inland port to Niger Republic etc., the imports for the zone shall be at competitive prices while there will be rapid exponential continuing growth of none oil exports which shall greatly grow our national GDP.
“The economic benefit of Dala Inland Dry Port cannot therefore be over emphasized.
We realized that the Kano Exporters which includes exporters from our neighbouring states and neighbouring countries notably, Niger and Chad Republics and the Northern Cameroon suffer untold hardship and losses in the process of receiving their imports or forwarding their exports. The hardship coupled with the exorbitant transport costs have pushed so many very committed businessmen out of business,” Ganduje said.
He further added that “We seek your kindness to grant the declaration of the 20,000 TEU Dala Inland Dry Port, Zawachiki, Kumbotso Local Government, Kano as “a Port of Origin and Destination”. I have been told that they need this declaration to get the Nigerian Customs Service, the CBN and other stakeholder Federal Government Agencies to make appropriate plans to support and facilitate their operations.”
Earlier in his Keynote Address said that the dry port project will reduce the cost of haulage and bring shipping facilities closer to the hinterland.
Earlier, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of theMinistry,Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said “a State with sizable number of textiles and agro-allied industries, a Motor Assembly Plant, hides and skin industries and several manufacturing plants deserves an Inland Dry Port”.
Amaechi explained that “bring shipping activities closer to shippers in the hinterland and increase cargoes throughput; act as a catalyst for improved trade flows; boost inland trading, revitalize export of agricultural products thus leading to multi-product economy; create employment opportunities that would ultimately stem rural urban migration and act as source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the host state as well as revenue source to the Federal Government”.
Federal Government has approved establishment of six locations for the Inland Container Depots, ICD’s /Container Freight Station, CFS’s in the following states
Isiala Ngwa, Abia, Erummu, Ibadan, Heipang, Jos
others are Zawachiki, Kano Zamfara, Funtua , Jauri, Maiduguri. This full business case is developed for the 4th Inland Dry Port from the list, which is the Zawachiki IDP in Kano State
