Governor of Kano State, Alh. Abdullahi Ganduje, has hinted of plans by the government to grow the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by attracting cargo from neighbouring countries and developing the Inland Dry Port (IDP) and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the state.
Ganduje gave this hint in Lagos when he led a team to visit the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mallam Hassan Bello, over the planned development of Dala Inland Dry Port (DIDP) and the SEZ.
The governor said that the state government appreciated the importance of the dry port to the state’s economy and also its importance to both neighbouring and our landlocked countries such as Niger Republic, Chad, Northern Cameroon and the rest of Sahel Africa up to Mauritania.
He explained that as part of the government’s efforts to ensure that the project becomes a reality, the state had provided the 200 hectares of land for the two integrated projects.
The governor expatiated: “We also provided critical infrastructure required for the project, amongst which are; construction of standard dual carriage access road to the project site, provision of power and water to the site as well as other essential support of propagating the project and promoting it both for marketing and obtaining support from appropriate government agencies.”
The NSC boss in his welcome address commended the state government for committing over N2.4 billion on access road, water, electricity supply, perimeter fencing and others to support the development of the Inland Depot project in the state.
Bello explained that the Council was working hard at ensure that all new ports in the country, including the Kano IDP, conform to globally accepted standards.
He disclosed that the Kano IDP, when completed, would have the capacity to handle about 20,000 metric tonnes which is expected to increase to 50,000 and 80,000 in three and five years time.
In addition, the NSC chief Bello confirmed that a Task Team comprising Federal Ministry of Transport, NSC, a representative of the Kano state government and DIDP to ensure the actualisation of the project had been set up.
In his remarks, Managing Director of DIDP, Mallam Ahmed Rabiu, said that his company was determined to ensure the realization of the objectives of the project through its timely completion in view of its social and economic benefits to the country and the state.
He commended the state governor and the NSC boss for their efforts towards the completion of the project.
