Stakeholders Advocate National Policy On Inland Container Depots

Port stakeholders have advised the Federal Government to develop a national policy on Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and Truck Transit Parks (TTPs).

The stakeholders gave the advice in a communique made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.

The stakeholders rose from a one-day sensitisation seminar toward the successful take off of Kaduna Dry Port and Truck Transit Parks on Friday in Kaduna.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ICDs are otherwise known as dry ports.

The participants called on government to support the actualisation of the ICD project in view of its numerous benefits to the business community in Kaduna State and its environs.

They urged private investors to take advantage of the numerous opportunities of dry ports and invest in activities that would have greater impact on the infrastructure.

The participants urged the government to declare the other ICDs with the status of Port of Origin for export and those with the status of Port of Destination for imports.

They commended the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and Inland Containers Nigeria Ltd (ICNL) for organising the seminar.

The participants called for more efforts to ensure full implementation of the ICD and TTP projects in the country.

They also commended the Kaduna State Government and the ICNL for the successful upgrade of the bonded terminal, leading to its official gazette as an inland dry port with the full status of a port.

Participants also suggested the integration and development of the various transport modes and infrastructure to ensure seamless movement of cargoes.

“More efforts should be employed by the Federal Government in the rehabilitation of the rail services to complement the roads in freight and passenger movement.

“Participants charged all importers and exporters to comply with the documentation and clearing procedures to avoid losses and delays.

“The Kaduna State Government should facilitate completion of the road networks leading to the dry port and other essential facilities like water and electricity for the dry port,” the communique said.

The participants also called for synergy between the NSC, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) for successful operations of ICDS,’’ the communique stated. (NAN)