The Federal Government has urged investors to key into the immense opportunities inherent in the Inland Dry Ports (IDP) and the proposed Truck Transit Parks (TTP) projects.
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Oshibajo made the appeal in Lagos yesterday at a breakfast meeting organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for investors in the Inland Dry Ports and the Truck Transit Parks.
The meeting which was organized by the Council was tagged, Financing Transport Infrastructure: Inland Dry Ports & Truck Transit Parks.
Osinbajo said the nation's transport infrastructure possess huge opportunities that everyone should come together to develop a strategy to take advantage of it.
The Vice president who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Infrastructure; Kolade Sofolahan said the nation's infrastructure deficit is a huge opportunities that must be tapped into.
The TTP and IDP are being promoted by the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) and would be built, managed and owned by investors.
Speaking, the vice president said: "We have infrastructural opportunities not a problem in Nigeria. It's a huge opportunity that everyone should come together to develop a strategy to take advantage of. It is described as crisis, problem but I see it as an opportunity. We have to think about how to grow our roads, TTP and IDP in a way that it is integrated to diversify our economy," The VP stated.
Also speaking, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed that the federal government has approved and concessioned the establishment of six Inland Container Depots across the geopolitical zones.
He also said that the FG has identified the TTPs as priority projects and provided institutional and legal framework for the establishment of TTPs by the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan 2014-2043.
He said, "government has also approved and concessioned the establishment of six inland container depot across the geo-political zones at Erunmu, Ibadan in South West; Isiala-Ngwa, Aba in the South-East; Futua, Katsina and Zawachiki, Kano in the North-West; Heipang, Jos in North Central and Jauri, Maiduguri in North-East.
"Construction work at the recently concessioned Kaduna ICNL Inland Dry Port has been completed and awaiting commissioning for full operations."
"The inland container Depots is port of Origin for exports and origin for imports and will see Transportation of cargoes to the hinterland and even landlocked neighbouring countries."
The minister said the ICDS ha been designated as consolidation centres for export of non-oil agricultural commodities and solid minerals products.
"I intend to very soon direct the Nigerian Shippers' Council to open talks with the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) to obtain export processing zone status for the ICDs.
"In the ICDS, there are great opportunities for investments (Added Values) including warehousing, commodity processing, packaging among others. "With the concession of the six Inland Container Depots across the country. TTPs know variously as Rest Stops, Rest Area in other jurisdiction will be inevitable since road transport at account for over 90 percent of all freight and passenger movement in the country."
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