Proposed $134m Ibadan IDP Will Solve Apapa Traffic - Shippers’ Council

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) over the weekend said the construction of an Inland Dry Port (IDP) at the terminal end of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge railway line would end the perennial traffic gridlock on the nation’s seaports especially Tin Can Island and Apapa ports.

This was even as the turning of the sod of the IDP could be done in two weeks.

Recall that the federal government, Oyo State government and the CRCC, Construction Company Limited have agreed to construct a $134million new Ibadan Inland Dry Port (IDP).

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has reviewed the project Outline Business Case and granted OBC Compliance Certificate.

The project will go through a two stage procurement method viz Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP). The Request for Qualification has been advertised and the bids will be received and opened on 16th April 2019. Thereafter, the Request for Proposal will be issued to successful pre-qualified bidders. Evaluation will be carried out and a preferred bidder selected.

Also, the 40,000 TEU’s capacity Ibadan IDP would be developed in three phases at a capital cost of $134 million for the project.

But speaking when he led the minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and Oyo State government to the IDP location at Olorisa Oko, Ibadan, the executive secretary of the council, Mr Hassan Bello said the IDP would provide 3000 direct and over two million indirect job.

According to Bello, the IDP would be constructed between 18 months and would be driven by technology to avoid the mistakes of the seaports.

“It is 18 months construction time and before that we negotiate the terms of the lease. it will be a modern facility driven by technology and we try to avoid the mistakes of the seaports.

“The most of the land will be for industrial park and truck transit parks so that there won’t be congestion but most importantly, the dryport will eliminate the perennial congestion at the seaports in Lagos and other

places and we will like to move cargoes out of the port to hinterlands because port is not a storage place.

The dryport and the industrial park which would seat on a 90 hectares of land would help transportation of cargoes to the hinterland.

“Cargoes from here to Ibadan will be sorted out and sent as fast as possible to respective destination. The employment content is 3000 direct employment and 2million indirect job. It will be an 18 months construction time and the bid will be opened by 16 April so we have qualification by May, 2019.

Bello further stated that the IDP would act as a cargo consolidation point and customs clearance for export cargoes and import cargoes destined for other South Western states.

“To provide additional means of integrating surface transportation of containers in the South-West Zone.

To act as a cargo consolidation point and customs clearance for export cargo originating from and import cargo destined for the South West Zone.

“To provide a comprehensive cargo sorting centre and temporary storage facility, the Ibadan Inland Dry Port will bring about massive employment and wealth creation opportunities which will engender growth in the economy of the South”-West and the nation in general.”

“To enhance the nation’s cargo handling and processing capacity, to introduce modern and sophisticated systems and processes and procedures for containerized cargo handling.”

However, the Oyo state government had commended the Council and the ministry of transportation over the proposed IDP.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government of Oyo State, Olalekan Ali said they are optimistic that the project won’t encounter any challenges because of the partnership arrangement.

He said, “By the arrangement it’s 55% shareholding by the Chinese consortium, 20% shareholding by the Oyo state government and 25 percent to other stakeholders. That showed that it’s a multipurpose venture and a public private partnership.”

Speaking on challenge likely to be faced, he said, “I imagine no serious challenge, the 55 % of the shareholding is owned by Chinese consortium and where we run something on Public Private Partnership and a greater percentage of the shareholding is privately owned, there is no likely to be problems.”

Commending the Shippers’ Council, he said, “Shippers’ Council has been operating with the highest level of dynamism; we have seen a change in the ability and capability of a government entity to bring something onto reality for the people, kudos to Shippers Council and the transport ministry.”