The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in building a bridge to facilitate trade, defined an Inland Container Depot as “a common user facility with public authority status equipped with fixed installation and offering services for landing and temporary storage of export, laden and empty containers Carried Under Customs Control and with Customs and other agencies competent to clear goods for home use, warehousing, and export, temporary storage for onward transit and outright export”.
It is an equivalent of a seaport located in the hinterland. It receives container by rail from the seaport for examination and clearance by Nigeria Customs Services. It has all the loading and off-loading equipment needed to handle container and general cargo.
And in line with the inherent benefits of ICDs, the Federal Executive Council on 15th March, 2006 approved the commencement of Inland Container Depot (ICD) projects at six locations in the country, under Build Operate Own and Transfer (BOOT) agreement. To give a further vent to its determination to get it off the round, the ICD policy was gazetted through a Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No.30 volume 94 of 21st May, 2007.
This effectively means that the ICD project has been on the card for about 10 years, and that Nigeria has been battling with getting these facilities that are located in: Isiala-Ngwa (Aba, Abia state), Ibadan in Oyo state, Kano in Kano state, Jos in Plataea state, Funtua and Maiduguri to take-off.
We recall that shortly after the policy and the project became public knowledge, stakeholders from across the country converged on Abuja to brainstorm at a forum that was put together by the project’s superintending agency, that is, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
The gathering probably came up in view of the initial lukewarm attitude of Nigerians to the project.
It is sad that for so many years, no cheering news on the ICDs was heard, except complaints from the concessionaires about the non- take-off of the facilities.
In some of the sites, only turning of sods have been carried out years after hectares of land have been acquired.
But, the first cheering news about the near-readiness of the ICDs was the news that filtered in last year that one of such facilities; the Kaduna Dry Port has been gazetted by the Federal Government.
By that statement which came directly from the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the Kaduna Inland Container Depot (ICD or dry port) is now a port of origin and final destination for import and export.
It is instructive that, while others are unable to get the ICDs off the ground, Inland Containers Nigeria Limited has been able to demonstrate doggedness and resilience in the execution of the Kaduna Dry port.
We recall that a couple of years ago, the President Oyo State Shippers’ Association (OYSSA); Dr Ayo Omotoso visited the Nigerian Shippers Council where he appealed for commencement of business at Ibadan ICD facilities, he called for a full-fledged port of destination status for the Ibadan ICD and the revival of the rail system across the state.
The sad stories about the various ICDs give little hope about their viability, but the Kaduna story gives hope.
It is also on record that, while some state governments are hostile to the concessionaires for political reasons, successive governments and Governors of Kaduna state have demonstrated good partnership.
The recent sensitization seminar organised by the Shippers Council and the concessionaire is a step in the right direction, and we commend the Council for seeing the Kaduna Dry port project through.
With rail link already established between Lagos port and Kaduna, while the Port Harcourt- North rail route is nearing completion, then the Kaduna Dry port is destined for huge success.
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