Exporters in the non-oil sector have called on the Federal government to ensure the connection of the Inland dry ports in the northern part of Nigeria to the railway for ultimate utilisation.
In the north, there are two completed dry ports, the Dala dry port in Kano and the dry port in Kaduna, these ports are currently underutilized due to nonconnectivity to the rail lines that would have enabled movement of goods from the seaports to the dry ports.
Speaking in Abuja recently, the Zonal Vice President for Northwest, Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr Nura Bello explained that connecting dry ports to railway would ease the burden of transportation in the export sector.
He also called for removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks in exportation processes in order to achieve the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Gasha Production and Services Ltd, Dr Nuhu Maksha emphasised the need for government through the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to increase haulage activities at the dry ports.
“I would say that if we don’t get the rail line connected, the idea of dry port will be defective. I am interested in seeing how the Shippers’ Council will help farmers like me to transfer my goods without the stress of the road.
“This is why the establishment of the Inland Dry Port is a dream come true because it would reduce the stress of moving containers on the road but I would say that if we don’t get the rail line connected to the Inland Dry Port, the idea of Dry Port will be defected as there are no sea connecting them across the country” he stated.
It has been observed that one of the major costs incurred by exporters during export process, particularly for those living far from the seaports is the cost of transporting goods by road.
The dry ports were established to reduce the cost of transportation, however, the nonconnectivity of the completed dry ports to the rail line has limited the usage of the ports, leaving them idle while exporters are still paying through their noses to transport goods by road to the seaports.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then