Nigeria: Govt Approves Establishment of Dry Ports

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

17 May 2008

To ease the difficulties often experienced by importers and exporters based in the hinterland and arrest ugly trends at sea ports such as congestion, expensive and hazardous nature of the haulage of goods to hinterlands, the Federal Government has given a nod to the establishment of dry ports across six locations of Isiala Ngwa (Abia State), Erunmu (Oyo State) Zawachiki (KanoState), Heipang (Plateau State), Funtua (Katsina State) and Maiduguri, with a view to allowing shippers to undertake consolidation and distribution activities as well as export /import procedures at these inland locations.
This revelation was made yesterday at the opening session of a two- day stake holders forum with the theme: Dry Ports Project In Nigeria: The Challenges Of Trade Facilitation In The 21st Century, organised by the Nigeria Shippers Council, at the Shehu Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja.
Flagging off the forum, the minister of state for water transportation, Prince John Okechukwu Emeka, said that in view of the fact that dry ports in some organised economies are sometimes used as an instrument of economic stimulus and often primarily as a tool to relieve seaport congestion and serve as a catalyst for the establishment of cluster manufacturing and agro allied industries, the forum had become expedient to ensure that all key players consisting of the federal and state governments, concessionaires and service providers, fully appreciate and understand their roles in the successful implementation of the dry ports project. "We are gathered at this forum to assess the progress made so far in the implementation of the Dry Ports project and to highlight problems impinging the progress and to collectively proffer solutions that would ensure the actualisation of the project," the minister said .
Other speakers at the opening session included the comptroller general of the Nigeria customs service, Buba Gyang, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Chief Ernest Shonekan.
In his presentation, Chief Shonekan, noted that the concept of dry ports was conceived as a response to the new trade order, and there is no limit to the sitting of ports as long as it provides important logistics services to both industry and trade.
He said although the federal and state government's involvement is gravitated towards regulations, monitoring, coordination and improving transport infrastructure linkages to the various modes of transport, a synergy of all stakeholders' commitment to the success of the project cannot be over emphasised. He advised that Nigeria customs service procedures must be streamlined to ensure quick movement of cargo from the port as an inter-face to the hinterland in order to facilitate trade.
Chief Shonekan also stressed that security in clearance and movement of cargo to dry ports is substantially very important, also supervisory agency must ensure that the legal framework as stipulated in the terms of concessioning agreement and approved gazette are strictly complied with and the tariff structure must be cost effective, adding that dry port should grow from its primary function of consolidation and distribution of cargo to offering value added services.

Source: All Africa