The Oyo State Government is seeking the support and collaboration of the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC) in facilitating the completion of the Erumu Inland Container Depot (ICD) project located at Ibadan, according to the Oyo State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, Mr. Adebayo Olagbenro, who he paid a visit to the office of the Council headquarters yesterday in Apapa, Lagos.
While noting the importance of the creation of ICD in the state and the country at large, Olagbenro lamented that the project conceived over nine years ago has not been completed.
“The host communities are getting worried that for more than 10 years that the project has been conceived, nothing substantial have been done,” he said.
He added: “Right from the conception of the project, the Council has always being a part of it, so we are here to share views on how the projects will be realized. When we know what the problems are, we know what to discuss with the Minister of Transport and agree on how the project will be completed.”
Expressing appreciation for the visit, Acting Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mallam Hassan Bello, stated that the Commissioner’s visit will spur the Council towards taking appropriate action in the realisation of the project.
Bello stressed that the creation of the ICD in Ibadan and similar other facilioties acroos the country would greatly eliminate problem of congestion at the ports in Lagos.
“The main objective of conceiving these dry ports is to provide lasting solution to perennial ports congestion and facilitate fast delivery of cargo,” he said.
He assured the Commissioner that, with the cooperation of the Oyo State Government, the Ibadan ICD will be completed before the end of the year.
“The Ibadan ICD is the most advanced of all the other five ICDs, and, with the cooperation of the Oyo State Government, I think this is one dry port that will be delivered before the end of the year,” Bello stated.
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