Container Depots: Govt, Committe Partner On Early Take-Off

The Federal Ministry of
Transport and the Ministerial Committee for the realisation of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) projects in the country are working towards the early take-off of the depots.
The Deputy Director (Public Relations) in Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Ignatius Nweke, said this in Lagos on Thursday in an interview with our correspondent recently.
Nweke said that the report of the committee on the ICDs had been submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transport.
He said that the concessionaires of the projects were waiting for a declaration by the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, before they could go further.
Nweke said that already, work had reached advance stage in some of the ICD sites, particularly in Erunmu, near Ibadan.
“The investors are waiting for the minister to declare the ICDs as ports of origin and destination before they commence development.
“The minister can only make his pronouncement based on his findings.
“The ministerial committee was set up to ensure that all workable requirements are put in place before the ICDs can begin to function as planned,’’ he told our correspondent.
Our correspodent reports that at the issue of making the ICDs functional to decongest the seaport was discussed at a stakeholder’s forum in Lagos on Aug. 16.
Stakeholders at the forum agreed that the ICDs would decongest the seaports.
The ICDs, otherwise known as dry ports, are located in Isiala–Ngwa, Abia,  is being managed by East Gate Nigeria Ltd.; and another in Erunmu, Oyo State is concession to Catamaran Logistics.
Others are the Jos ICD, managed by Duncan Maritime Services, while the Kano ICD is concession to Dala Inland Dry Port Services.
The Container Freight Stations in Funtua, Katsina,  is being managed  by Equatorial Marine Services, while the freight station in Maiduguri is concession to Migfo Nigeria Ltd.