Shippers’ Council Tasks INTELS On Dry Ports Construction

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’Council, Barrister Hassan Bello has charged leading terminal operator; INTELS Nigeria Limited to consider investing in construction of dry ports in Nigeria.

Bello gave the charge yesterday when top management staff of INTELS paid a courtesy call on his office in Apapa Lagos.

Bello pointed out that Nigerian facilities are not only for imports, even as he observed that the Nigerian economy is being diversified. According to him, there is need for dry port construction which can be used also for export.

The Shippers’ Council boss also tasked INTELS to explore the numerous opportunities inherent in Nigeria's international transit trade.

According to him, a lot of cargoes are being lost yearly to other neighboring landlocked countries with transit ports.

"We would like INTELS to look at its connection with inland facilities, especially the dry ports, because the nexus between the seaports and the dry ports is important, these are areas of investment that you will make in order to bring shipping to the door step of shippers", he said.

"I am sure that if there is the connection between INTELS and any of the dry ports, it will be fantastic, we will like you to look at this and see how you can further invest", he advised.

"We will also like INTELS to take into recognition, Nigeria's international obligation to transit trade, we have landlocked countries like Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, there are transit ports in Ghana now and Benin which should not be so because Nigerian ports are efficient now and we will like INTELS to look at it, 300,000 tons of cargo from Niger per annum is not a joke".

"These are cargoes that you will like to capture, besides, Niger is an oil producing country; it means that it makes sense for them to import or export their cargo through Nigeria" he said.

Bello said that the Council is set to embark on a tour of all terminals and ports in Nigeria as part of his newly assigned obligation as a port regulator.

Responding, Authorities Manager of INTELS, Mr. Bamishebi Thomson said that the essence of the visit to the Council is to pledge its support as well as solicit the support of the Council.

Bamishebi pointed out that INTELS is a logistics service provider in the oil and gas industry, dealing in cargo handling for the oil and gas industry.

He pointed out that INTELS enjoys good support of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and that it would like to extend same to Council.

"We have done a lot in the industry and this will be shown when the Executive Secretary visits us in Onne, how we have transformed it from what it was in 1982 till date", he pointed out.

"The summary of the visit is to solicit their support and to invite them to come and see all our investments”, he said.