By HEADLINENEWS.NEWS correspondent
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has commissioned the Funtua Inland Dry port in Katsina state, describing it as a concept that has gained prominence globally.
Speaking at the commissioning, on Thursday, Tinubu said the Funtua Inland Dry Port represent yet another step forward for Nigeria’s economic development.
Represented by the Secretary to the federal government, Dr. George Akume, Tinubu explained that the concept of Inland Dry Ports has gained prominence globally, particularly with the container revolution and the advent of door-to-door cargo delivery.
This port, strategically located in Funtua, Katsina State, is the third to be completed and commissioned among the six legacy Inland Dry Port projects spread across our nation’s six geo-political zones.
It is imperative to acknowledge the long-awaited anticipation from our hinterland business communities for such essential facilities. The Funtua Inland Dry Port holds immense potentials to enhance the ease of conducting international business for interior-based shippers, both importers and exporters.
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of my Administration, this development aligns with our commitment to diversify the economy towards non-oil exports”.
“This Port grants importers and exporters located within our inland cities, as well as neighbouring hinterland countries such as Niger, Chad, Northern Cameroon, and Central Africa, access to shipping and port services without the need to physically visit seaports.
“Moreover, the Funtua Inland Dry Port offers importers the convenience of processing cargo clearance and receiving raw materials and machinery closer to their places of business. For exporters, it provides essential facilities for processing, packaging, consolidating, and forwarding exports worldwide.
This infrastructure is integral to our Administration’s commitment to promoting export business across Nigeria, thereby achieving trade balance and creating employment opportunities for our youths” he stated.
The President reaffirmed that recognizing the vital role of Inland Dry Ports lines in connecting sea ports to the hinterlands, “I reaffirm our Administration’s commitment to prioritizing the completion and utilization of more dry port projects. The critical infrastructure necessary for the seamless operation of Inland Dry Ports are being targeted.
“Currently, extensive rehabilitation and upgrade works on roads, rail and waterway infrastructure are being scheduled. These efforts are to facilitate trade, reduce costs, and enhance the ease of doing business across the nation.
“I implore the general public, host communities and the State to consider these private investments as part of our national assets and ensure their protection”.
He also called on all relevant stakeholders across the public and private sectors to patronize and utilize the facilities optimally. “Together, let us harness the full potentials of the Funtua Inland Dry Port and other Inland Dry Ports for the prosperity of our region and the nation at large”
Also speaking, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyetola Adegboyega stated that the State has been ranked in agricultural products and in other businesses in the country, such as the largest producer of cotton, second largest producer of sorghum, produces 13% of Nigeria’s sugarcane, placing it in second place in Nigeria as well as other cereals and legume crops.
In addition to all these, the presence of several manufacturing industries in Katsina not only make it suited but most qualified to host an Inland Dry Port.
“Your Excellency Mr President, you may wish to recall that the Inland Dry Port Projects was conceived as part of Federal Government’s Ports reform programme designed to among others; decongest the seaports, while also taking shipping and port services closer to importers and exporters in the hinterland.
“Subsequently, in March, 2006 the Federal Executive Council (FEC) granted approval for the establishment of this critical transport infrastructure at chosen locations across the country to be concessioned to private sector operators on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) basis.
“Funtua Inland Dry Port at Funtua in Katsina State was among the six Inland Dry Ports approved and was concessioned to Messrs Equatorial Marine Oil & Gas Limited”.
The Minister explained that the inherited project at 80 percent completion stage. “This, prompted me to announce in November last year that it would be ready for commissioning in the first quarter of this year.
“Additionally, as part of efforts to further decongest the ports and increase their efficiency and optimisation, we are embarking on ports’ rehabilitation and modernisation.
“As we speak, the process of engineering, procurement, and financing of the project, which is estimated to be around One billion Dollars, is on-going.
“We are also collaborating with the Ministries of Transportation and Works to help further increase our ports efficiency for the Ministry of Transportation, we are collaborating on the intra-modal link between the sea ports and the inland dry ports, while the Ministry of Works is assisting in fixing the access roads to our ports. All these efforts are aimed at improving the ease of doing business in our port”.
On his part, the Governor of Katsina state, Dr. Dikko Umar Radda commended the effects of the Federal government in ensuring the completion of the Dry port.
He said the state contributed to the project by allocating 70 hectares of land as well as a 3 kilometers carriage for the port.
Dikko therefore appealed to the regulatory agencies to working in the facility to collaborate with the private sector and the host community in order to achieve the goals of establishing the port.
In his vote of thanks, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Puis Ukeyima Akutah said the port will contribute immensely to economic growth of the state and the country at large.
He thanked God for making the Commissioning of the project possible for the use of Nigerians and foreigners.
The Executive Secretary noted that Dry port ” is all about export, and we know that there is so much to be exported from Nigeria”.
Akutah tasked the management of the Inland Dry port to utilize the facility prudently for the benefit of the nation by promoting the activities of the Port.
