The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is perfecting plans to commission two dry ports in Jos and Funtua between December this year and January 2020, Hassan Bello, executive secretary of NSC, has said.
According to him, the Council recently had meetings with promoters of Funtua and Jos – and gave them timeline to work and see to it that things are done for the two dry ports to begin operations.
BusinessDay understands that there are two applications for industries to be located near the Jos Dry Port.
Meanwhile, the Shippers Council has planned to ensure that the port complies with the provisions of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
“We are talking with companies like Smelters to see what could be done. This whole idea is that we could reach Europe from Jos faster than South Africa. It is about five hours to Europe, Germany, and Britain and so on,” Bello said.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos recently, Bello said a lot of progress has also been made with Kaduna Dry Port amid slow movement of containers from the seaports in Lagos to the Kaduna dry port using rail.
Bello, who stated that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) now takes containers from Lagos to Kaduna, said there is need for frequency and certainty as regards the capacity of the railway to move containers to the Dry Port in Kaduna.
“Because it is a narrow gauge, we are worried about derailment and the speed which is 60 kilometer per hour (KPH). Many shippers and companies like Nokako and Orland Farms have come into Kaduna. They want to use Kaduna Port, but the capacity of the rail has been a concern,” he said.
He however, said the Nigerian Railway is making every effort to increase the number of containers being moved to Kaduna by rail on weekly basis.
“Nigerian Railway has been very committed in taking containers to Kaduna Port. The Customs Service has upgraded their Command. Central Bank has recognised Kaduna Port in electronic Form M. Many banks and government agencies are now in Kaduna,” he said.
Bello, who disclosed that Kaduna is witnessing a lot of export growth because of the dry port, listed cow horn, ginger, hibiscus popularly known as ‘Zobo’as agric produces that are being exported from Kaduna through the Dry Port.
Meanwhile, Shippers Council is, in partnership with the Commonwealth Investment and Enterprise Council as well as the NEXIM Bank, making plans to acquire the land adjacent Kaduna dry port for processing and packaging of agricultural produce for value addition.
“We want ginger and zobo to be processed and packaged before being exported. This will mean employment for people and we are working with the Ministry of Finance on this. Kaduna will be a success story especially with rail coming on. We are also looking at Kano which unfortunately has not been able to do anything. This will decongest the seaports, bring shipping closer to the people and grow the economies where these dry ports are sited,” Bello said.
On securing investors for the dry port projects, he said some dry ports like Jos are dealing with Chinese companies, some with the Canadian investors like Isiala Ngwa.
On volume of business in Kaduna, he said, though volume might be presently low due to the capacity of the rail, adding that the Council is making effort to ensure that shippers from Niger are moving their cargoes through the dry port.
“We had meetings with Niger recently. They want their cargo to come, but they are looking at Kaduna. Already, the Kaduna State government has led a trade delegation to Niger – so that they will consolidate that,” he said.
Findings show that the Kaduna State government has put in efforts in ensuring success of the dry port through infrastructure development such as roads, security, light, water and other infrastructure. In addition, the NSC plans to ensure Kaduna Port becomes ISPS Code compliant.
