Foremost dry port operator; Inland Nigeria Containers Depot (ICNL), has expressed worries over the non-availability of rail line connected to the six approved Inland Container Depots (ICD) by the Federal Government , saying that they can only survive only when the rail tracks are linked to them.
The ICNL however urged the Federal Government to privatise the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), saying that it is yet to meet the yearnings of Nigerians despite its rehabilitation.
Managing Director, ICNL; Mr. Ismail Yusuf gave the advice recently in a chat with our correspondent.
The logistics expert noted that 75% of Nigerian roads are in poor condition, therefore the rail lines have a major role to play in ensuring that the ICDs work well.
Ismail further explained that establishing rail lines assist in the movement of cargoes out of the ports to the hinterland, stressing the need for government to privatise the agency.
"Government has to look in the direction of privatisation and remove hand from the rail sector and privatise it, "he said.
He pointed out that since the privatisation of the maritime sector, port services have improved because it now takes 72 hours to clear containers, unlike when it used to take between 20 to 60 days.
Ismail also stated that ICNL has cordial working relations with NRC, but noted that the corporation is not doing enough to boost ICNL’s operation of transporting cargoes from the seaports to the hinterlands facilities in Kano and Kaduna.
"It is not that the railways are not functioning, but I think they don't have enough capacity to meet our demands and when you are in transport business; especially the situation we find ourselves in this country, there are so many hiccups"
According him, privatisation of the railway will bring about competitiveness among the investors and will also bring effective and efficient service delivery by the ICD operators.
"The purpose of establishing dry ports or bonded terminals outside the coastal area is to ensure that you move this cargoes by rail so that it won't be expensive for people that will use your inland terminals"
"For us and for the problem to be solved, we want government to look in that direction of removing their hands from railway"
"Government needs to privatise it. "For government to help the public, it must privatise NRC otherwise they will continue to pump in money and it will not work"
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