Borno dry port’ll promote trans-border trade, raise GDP – Zulum

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, says the state’s Inland Dry Ports, when completed, would enhance trans-border trade and increase Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

Zulum gave the assurance on Wednesday when he led the concessioners to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Headquarters in Lagos State.

He assured the NSC of his administration’s resolve to expedite works towards establishing an inland dry port in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

According to him, the establishment of the Inland Dry Port in Maiduguri will bring opportunities to the Federal Government and the people of Borno.

Zulum said, “The dry ports, when completed, will bring about employment generation, which will take away thousands of young children off the street; this is very important.

“The establishment of the IDP will enhance trans-border trade and it will also enhance relationship with our border countries.

“The IDP will enhance the economy of the nation and also increase the nation’s GDP.”

Zulum noted that the IDP would help Nigeria deviate into other opportunities aside from oil, saying, “We are trying to divert our attention from mono-economy, which is oil, by investing in other opportunities. I think Nigeria will be great soon.”

He commended the FG under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu for ensuring the rehabilitation of rail lines across the country.

Zulum also lauded Tinubu’s efforts in the rehabilitation of all the roads which enable thousands of trucks to come into Maiduguri daily.

“The establishment of the road system will fast-track the process of the IDP in the absence of rail,” he said, adding that an efficient and effective road transportation system was already in place.

Speaking earlier, the NSC Executive Secretary, Mr Pius Akutah, noted that it was important for Borno State to establish an IDP given its location bordering three West African countries – Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

He said Nigeria had established international trade with African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Zone Agreement, which had allowed the country to open its borders to the whole of Africa into one market.

Noting that he had seen the consistency of Zulum, Akutah stressed his belief in the governor’s capacity to deliver the IDP project in six months.

He said that Zulum had already developed critical infrastructure of the transit park, “which made the IDP’s project mind-blowing.”

“Now what needs to be done is for the two entities to look at the political will that the governor has brought to the table, to see how they can quickly agree among themselves.

“This is business and the initiative is not for the government to drive the day-to-day running of this inland dry port. It is a public-private dimension, and therefore, the private sector should drive it.

“The two entities should come together and fast-track the process of harmonising and agreeing among themselves, so the governor can be able to achieve the speedy establishment of the IDP,” he said.

He said that the establishment of IDP in Maiduguri would discharge more than 10,000 containers daily, noting that the Borno dry port was at five per cent completion.

NAN