Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has been advised to make the 20,000 tonnes capacity Ibadan Inland Port project being constructed at the Olodo area of Ibadan the hub of industrialisation in the state by developing a masterplan that will incorporate ancillary support projects based on the multiplier effects of the dry port to create jobs and expand the economy of the state.
According to Dr Abiodun Raufu, “the dry port is a transformative economic opportunity for Oyo State. With the recent signing of N43.2 billion Public-Private Partnership agreement to commence the much-awaited construction of the dry port and the near completion of the new Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project, the Ibadan Inland Port project will soon be a reality and this is the right time to prepare a masterplan for the full utilisation of the dry port and the railway project for the upliftment of Oyo State.”
Dr Raufu, a former editor of Nigerian Tribune, who is now an Assistant Professor at Southern University and A&M College in the United States of America, said the inland port can be complemented by the establishment of a free trade zone/export processing zone, trailer parks, parking lot for cars, shopping malls, mass housing projects to accommodate the inevitable population shift to the area.
“The masterplan will encompass the infrastructural requirements of the area to avoid disorderly development and construction of shanties.
“It is also important to discourage the emergence of disorderly physical projects shanties in the area by creating a masterplan that will guide the physical development in the area,” he said.
According to Dr Raufu, the inland port and other complementary projects will create thousands of jobs, accelerate industrial and commercial development in the state and substantially boost government’s Internally Generated Revenue.
Dr Raufu advised the governor to appoint an experienced person with cognate experience and background in finance or investment as Special Adviser to oversee the project.
The dry port was conceived by the Federal Government to address the challenges of port congestion and traffic gridlock at the Lagos seaport and will serve as a designated port of destination where cargo meant for the South-Western part of Nigeria and beyond will be processed for import and export purposes, while the Lagos-Ibadan standard railway will serve as the conveyor for the movement of cargo to and from the port.
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