Ibadan Inland Dry Port to gulp N35.8 billion

The 90-hectare Ibadan Inland Dry port (IDP), being undertaken by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), has been estimated to gulp about $99.6 million (35.8 billion).

The Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this during the handing over of the document for the 90 hectares of land approved for the project by the Oyo State Government.

Amaechi said the containers for the dry port located at Olorisa-Oko village in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, would be transported by rail, adding that this will ease the burden of traffic.

Commending the State Government for making the land available, he also advised to open up adjoining road around the IDP environment to check traffic congestion.

He said: “There are two things that I see the Oyo State Government is not preparing for; you should call the attention of your successor to those two things, and I will name them for you. The moment we complete that track and commercial activities start, I suspect that Apapa gridlock will ease off, and if we are not careful, Ibadan gridlock will start, and until we are able to do Ibadan to Kano, there are chances that the gridlock will transfer to Ibadan.

“I want to make a quick suggestion. At the point where you have the IDP, there is a road close to the expressway, but not tarred. So if you do a tarred road from there to the express, you will ease the gridlock, and the earlier that is done, the better for Ibadan people.”

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Hassan Bello, assured that the proposed Ibadan IDP project would ease the Apapa-Tin Can gridlock.

He said the dry port would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including modern truck parking spaces.
On his part, Governor Abiola Ajimobi assured that the traffic issue will be taken care of, adding that instead of gridlock, Ibadan will experience gridlock of progress and commerce, adding that the IDP will create job opportunities and further economic growth.