The Federal Government has exempted concessionaire to the Kaduna Dry Port (KDP); Inland Containers Nigeria Limited (ICNL) from the 2017 deadline given to investors on the facilities to kick-start operations or get sacked.
Even though, it commended the structures so far put in place by the concessionaires of the Kaduna dry port, the government also emphasised the need for the port to come on stream with rail tracks.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, at a recent meeting with all the dry port concessionaires, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers' Council; Mr Hassan Bello read the riot act, threatening that by the end of 2017, any investor that failed to record appreciable improvement in its facility will be sacked.
It was confirmed that among the dry port facilities, the Kaduna Dry Port is the only one that is near-completion, while others are yet to commence full construction on their respective sites.
Shipping Position Daily investigations further confirmed that the ICNL had commenced operations on the site since 2011, few years after the agreement was reached with the Federal Government on the project.
But, at a meeting with the concessionaires recently in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers Council; Mr Hassan Bello commended facilitators of the Kaduna Dry Port for the level of development on their facilities.
He expressed satisfaction with the structures and development so far put in place, which according to him, are excellent.
"As for Kaduna, we have already seen operations there and we at the NSC have fashioned out the regulatory framework of Kaduna Dry port; we are talking about the railway corporation to see how we can help Kaduna because it has attained a certain level", Bello stated.
"In Kaduna Dry Port, we have seen some significant development and we are satisfied with it"
"Nigerian Shippers Council has noted that some people have moved to site and have reached some appreciated level”.
But, speaking with our correspondent exclusively last week, the General Manager, Operations at ICNL; Mr. Rotimi Raimi confirmed that the concessionaires of the Kaduna Dry Port were exempted from the deadline date.
He revealed that the company had commenced site construction shortly after it entered with the agreement with government on the dry port project.
Raimi stressed the need for the council to encourage other concessionaires by not wielding the big stick on those who are yet to commence operational structure on their respective site.
He said that "We have been on this project since 2011 and it has helped us because we started on time"
The ICNL top official also assured that the Kaduna Dry Port will commence operations in 2017.
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