L-R: Wang Qiongyu of CRCC and Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary /CEO, NIgerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), during a meeting on the construction of Ibadan Inland Dry Port, this week.
A major milestone in dry port development in Nigeria was witnessed this week as the Federal Government and CRCC, the preferred bidders for the construction of the Ibadan Inland Dry Port met to conclude negotiations.
Under the arrangement, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is the guarantor to the concession, an eighty thousand (80,000) TEU capacity dry port to be built on the basis of Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
On completion, the facility is expected to address the problem of port congestion and gridlock in Apapa as it will be designated a port of destination where cargoes will be consolidated for import and export, especially in the South-Western part of Nigeria.
Among other uses, the dry port will also provide a competitive cargo sorting centre, bulk breaking as well as cargo-tracking and truck management services.
This project, which has been estimated at US$94,000,000.00 (N43,240,000,000.00), will boost employment in Oyo State and other cities in the environs.
The Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway currently under construction is aligned to the proposed dry port, making it easy to convey cargo from the seaports in Lagos and to all destinations along the route.
The negotiations emphasised the utilisation of local content at each stage of development and operation of the facility.
Having concluded this stage, an Updated Full Business Case Compliance report will be produced. A draft agreement will be presented to the Federal Ministry of Justice and sent to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, for vetting, after which the Minister of Transportation will present the agreement to the Federal Executive Council. The concessionaire will then be taken to the site for sod-turning. It is expected that construction will commence immediately after the ceremony. The time-line for completion is twelve months.
The negotiation was moderated by the Federal Ministry Of Transportation led by the acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Hussani Adamu and the Director, Maritime Services, Auwalu Suleiman, the Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, Engr. Chidi Izuwa. Amb. Jummai Katagum who represented the Federal Ministry of Finance was also part of the 4-day negotiation.
The Secretary to Government of Oyo State, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun was present at the meeting, while the preferred bidder CRCC was led by Deputy Managing Director, Jacques Liao.
The Executive Secretary of Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello expressed satisfaction with the proceedings as all parties expressed commitment to the actualization of the project.
Facilition of the meeting was enabled by the transaction advisors, Aminu Dikko and Mohammed Kumalia and the negotiations will be concluded soonest.
