The Plateau State Government is set to revive its Inland Dry Port project located in Heipang, which was terminated by the immediate past administration in the state.
The state Governor, Simon Lalong, stated this when he paid a working visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council at the weekend.
Lalong also said he would resuscitate the state’s dry port implementation committee to ensure the successful implementation and execution of the project.
He stressed the urgent need to revive the project in view of the poor state of the national economy which has necessitated diversification by all tiers of government.
Lalong listed some of the benefits expected from the proposed project to include job creation, business opportunity for importers and exporters and a turnaround of the state’s economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue.
He assured local and foreign investors of adequate security of their investments and personnel, saying the government had put in place security measures to stem the tide of insecurity in the state.
According to him, Plateau is safe for investors, contrary to what he described as speculations of security challenges characterised by incessant bloody communal clashes in many communities in the state.
“I want to assure you that immediately I get back home, I will take adequate steps to re-validate and execute the project. I also appeal to other governors to do same because we are talking about developing the economy,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Alhaji Hassan Bello, had, earlier in a speech, requested the governor to immediately revalidate the letter of exchange for the project site, which was revoked by the last administration in the state.
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