Abia Dry Port Project Takes Off … As FG, Abia, Eastgate Sign MoU

An agreement for the commencement of the physical development of the proposed Inland Container Depot (ICD) to be sited in Abia State was signed Monday.

The MoU signing ceremony which is a prelude to physical development of the project was held at the Avor Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area. It brought back rays of hope that the Abia ICD which has been on the drawing board for the last eight years, from 2001, may after all be realised.

All the parties to the project, including the federal government, Abia State government, Nigeria Shippers Council and the concessionaire, Eastgate Inland Terminal Limited expressed their commitment to ensuring realisation of the Abia ICD, believed to be the most viable of the six ICDs proposed for different parts of the country.

The project concessionaire, assured during the ceremony that it would be completed within 30 months.

Addressing the gathering which included representatives of the donor communites, the Deputy Governor, Comrade Chris Akomas, who is also the chairman of ICD Implementation Committee, expressed confidence that the project would be fully realised even before the 30 month completion deadline.

He said that the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji has strong confidence in the viability of the project and the capacity of the concessionaire to deliver on his promise hence the state government has acquired 20 percent equity share in the venture in order to give the people a sense of ownership.

According to the deputy governor, the ICD has the potential to generate lots of jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and with the over 20 companies that would operate at the Depot, more jobs would be provided.

However, he called on the federal government to seize the opportunity of the ICD to award contract for the construction of new rail lines to connect the ICD in Abia to Calabar port, Onne port and Lagos port in order to realise the full potential of the project.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Captain Adamu Biu, in his address expressed a sense of relief that the project was finally taking shape after eight years of delay, adding that the ICD in Abia would be the first of such project in the sub-Saharan Africa to meet international standard.

He noted that the execution of the project may be difficult but expressed the determination of all stakeholders to overcome all hurdles, more so when the concessionaire has displayed great zeal to execute the project on time and to standard.

Chairman of Eastgate, Mr. Bill Nkemdirim, expressed happiness that the ICD was finally taking off the ground after eight years of planning, noting that the company had during the waiting period passed through thick and thin to see to the commencement of he project.

He said that the federal government has supported the project right from inception and the decision to site an ICD for the Southeast was economically and politically wise given its viability.

“It is not an understatement to say that the Southeast needs the project more than others,” he said, adding that the ICD would act as a catalyst to engender all kinds of industrial and economic development in Abia.