LEKKI PORT WILL CREATE EMPLOYMENT FOR 170,000 NIGERIANS-HASSAN BELLO_Ada Nkong

The Executive secretary ,Nigerian Shippers Council, Barr. Hassan Bello says implementation of the Ibadan dry port will cost $100,000,000 (one hundred million dollars) for the first stage.
Bello who spoke during a parley with journalist in Abuja also disclosed that the CRCC have been picked as the preferred bidders for the project.
According to him, the construction time of the project is eighteen months with 90 hectares of land involved though only forty hectares will be utilized in the first stage.
“It is going through the process of procurement, a lot has been done. Milestones have been achieved. We want to start negotiations of the concession with the preferred bidder”.
” what is their obligation, what is the obligation of the federal government, what is the obligation of Shippers Council? We want to enter into talks with Oyo state government to determine how many years the lease will subsist after which it will revert to government “.
The Executive Secretary said the dry ports will be modern dry ports, electronically engineered and ICT driven to avoid repeating the mistakes of the seaports. He said the port community system which is a subset of the national single window will be utilized at the initial stage.This, he said will enable us compete favorably with other ports.
Hassan Bello appealed for everybody’s interest to be canvassed at the Lekki port which he said will provide employment for 170,000 people.
“We need ships that can carry more cargo. The Lekki port is 16 meters which will bring larger ships. When we have larger ships it means the cost of transportation will be less, but I also appeal to all concerned that everybody’s interest must be canvassed”.
Other issues he pointed out for consideration in implementing the Lekki port project are the access roads, inland water,pipelines etc with the access road being the mist important consideration.
Looking back at 2019, Bello said no arbitrary charges were recorded for the most part of 2019. He said there was stability in the cost of shipping though there was no predictability. He lamented that the gridlock at Apapa port has affected the cost of shipping. He however said negotiations are on to reduce the cost of shipping.
Concerning the National fleet, he said the Federal government has approved the disbursement of carbotage vessel fund which would set the process rolling. The capital intensive nature of the project ,he said is what has prevented indigenous investors from taking it up so far. Bello said its a 5 years project and would be private sector led.