The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has expressed its readiness to work with the Oyo State Government to ensure that the Ibadan Inland Dry Port is delivered within the next two years.
The readiness was declared, on Thursday, by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Honourable Emmanuel Jime, who led top management officials of the NSC on a courtesy call on Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, the State capital.
Explaining the work plan for the delivery of the project, Jime disclosed that 90 percent of the Full Business Case (FBC) had been resolved, as transaction advisers had prepared the necessary document for the NSC to submit the FBC to the Federal Ministry of Transportation on November 19 for forwarding to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
According to the work plan reeled out, the Ministry of Transportation is expected to forward the Full Business Case to the ICRC on November 24; and on December 1, the ICRC is expected to issue a Certificate of Compliance, while the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, would submit the FBC to the Federal Executive Council on December 15 for approval.
“It is expected that both commercial and financial closure on the project would be attained by May, 2022, as the procurement for the concessionaires is at the last stage. Negotiations had commenced in June, 2020 and all outstanding issues in the Full Business Case and the Concession Agreement have been resolved.
“We are still working very closely with the concessionaires. They have an idea of how much time they need. We also have an idea of how much time we are going to give them. But, the maximum cannot be more than two years, if we are going to go with the suggestion that the concessionaires are making.
“In our own estimation, we think this project can be done in a year but it won’t be more than two years at the maximum,” said Jime.
Jime praised the Oyo State Government for reaffirming its grant of 90 hectares of land for the project as well as development of an industrial park. He also commended the resolve of the State government to provide a link road and frame bridge at the entrance and exit of the dry port, connection of the dry port to 33KV power supply and reconstruction of the Oyo-Ibadan to Moniya/Iseyin link road.
He, however, identified outstanding issues regarding the project to include the need for payment of compensation for the 90 hectares of land acquired for the project, provision of promised infrastructure and the need for engagement with host communities and other stakeholders for their support.
Giving his remarks, the host, Governor Seyi Makinde, said the Ibadan Inland Dry Port is a project that is at the heart of his administration, noting that the government would do all that is necessary to ensure every bottleneck around the project is resolved.
“If we have things that should have been done on our side that are having a negative impact on the progress of this project, please let us know. We will remove those impediments almost immediately.
“If there are things that we also need to do to fast-track this project, we really want to do it; because this project is a game-changer for us,” said Makinde.
The Governor asserted that his administration was ready to put all safeguards in place so as not to replicate the gridlock at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in order for the State to enjoy the maximum benefit from the project. He added that his administration was ready to partner with the NSC and do everything possible for the project’s early realization.
