By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Oyo State Shippers Association (OYSSA) and the Erunmu Dry Port Consultative Council have sought the support and royal intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Senator) Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, CFR, for the actualisation of the long-awaited Erunmu Inland Dry Port project.
The call was contained in a joint communiqué issued after a strategic meeting held recently at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) office in Mokola, Ibadan.
The stakeholders, alongside representatives of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, said the completion of the dry port would have significant economic implications for Oyo State and the country, particularly in the areas of trade facilitation, export development, logistics and employment generation.
In a letter addressed to the Olubadan, President of OYSSA, Pastor Mrs. Elizabeth Olanrewaju Nwankwo, and the Chairman of the Erunmu Dry Port Consultative Council said they were seeking Ladoja’s “royal fatherly guidance” towards the delivery of the project.
They recalled that Ladoja’s tenure as Executive Governor of Oyo State laid a strong foundation for the Erunmu Inland Dry Port project, expressing optimism that its completion during his reign as Olubadan would constitute a major legacy for Ibadanland and the state.
According to the stakeholders, the successful completion of the facility would position Oyo State as a major logistics, trade and export hub while opening up new opportunities for businesses across the South-West.
They listed the potential benefits of the project to include increased export of Nigerian and agro-processed products, creation of employment for youths and women, attraction of local and foreign investments, and stronger rail-based cargo transportation.
The dry port, they added, would also help decongest Nigeria’s seaports by providing an inland cargo-handling alternative while supporting industrialisation and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The stakeholders therefore requested a joint courtesy visit to the Olubadan at his earliest convenience to formally present the communiqué, brief him on the current status of the project and seek his counsel and support.
They expressed confidence that renewed collaboration among traditional institutions, government agencies, shippers and other stakeholders could accelerate the delivery of the project and transform the facility into a catalyst for sustainable economic growth in Oyo State.
Copies of the letter were sent to the Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, South-West Zonal Coordinating Office, Ibadan, as well as the executive committees of OYSSA and the Erunmu Dry Port Consultative Council.
