The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), have decided to work in collaboration to make Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) bankable and attractive to more concessionaires.
This was revealed on Monday in a publication of the council titled “The Shipper” by the Acting Director-General of ICRC, Chidi Izuwah.
It was gathered that there are six (6) approved locations for the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) / Container Freight Stations (CFSs), which had been concessioned to private sector operators by the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
The six ICDs are: Isiala Ngwa in Aba, Erunmu in Ibadan, Heipang in Jos, Zawachiki in Kano, Zamfarawa in Funtua and Jauri in Maiduguri.
Izuwah said that if the IDP was bankable, it would attract the right level of financing from lenders and make them viable.
According to him, both the Council and the Federal Ministry of Transportation were determined to make the IDP project successful.
He disclosed that IDPs are included in the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan because the fastest way to increase such capacity in any country is to build dry ports.
Speaking further. he said, “The IDPs will build industries around them because it is about transport and those area they are located will develop and grow our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The government is working very hard. We have to face the reality, building a rail is expensive and takes time.
“The existing narrow gauge lines transverse our country very well and government is in the process of concessioning that narrow gauge lines to General Electric to provide freight services.,’’ he noted.
