FG Grants Kaduna Inland Container Depot Port Status

The Federal Government has declared Kaduna Inland Container Depot (ICD) a port of origin and final destination to extend shipping services to hinterlands and landlocked areas to decongest the ports.
The development, which confirms Shipping Position Daily newspaper’s story of last Monday (July 6, 2015) on the Kaduna ICD, was confirmed via s statement issued on Friday by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. It was signed by Mr Ignatius Nweke, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).

The Federal Government has declared Kaduna Inland Container Depot (ICD) a port of origin and final destination to extend shipping services to hinterlands and landlocked areas to decongest the ports.
The development, which confirms Shipping Position Daily newspaper’s story of last Monday (July 6, 2015) on the Kaduna ICD, was confirmed via s statement issued on Friday by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council. It was signed by Mr Ignatius Nweke, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
According to the statement, the declaration is contained in a government gazette No 60 Vol. 102 of May 26, 2015, entitled “Kaduna Dry Port Declaration Order, 15’’.
The  Shippers Council said “it is expected that the Kaduna Inland Dry Port will have the status of international port, including customs, immigration, port health officials, as well as government security agencies.’’
The statement noted that the gazette, which was signed by the former Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, had now upgraded the Inland Container Nigeria Ltd. (ICNL) Bonded Terminal, Kaduna, to the status of dry port of origin and final destination.
“The gazette indicated that the newly-designated port with the capacity to handle 29,000 containers per annum shall be a customs port.
“This is in accordance with the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap. C 45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014.’’
The Inland Container Depots (ICD) and Container Freight Stations (CFS) located in Kaduna, Ibadan, Kano, Jos, Aba, Funtua and Maiduguri. were initiated by the Nigerian Shippers Council to bring shipping services to the hinterlands and landlocked neighbouring countries in order to decongest the ports.