By SUNDAY ISUWA, Abuja

Port activities have already taken off in the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, thus making it the first of such in the country. The port mamager Mr Rotimi Oledele Raimi told our correspondent that northern businessmen, importers and exporters as well as their counterparts from Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Central African Republic can now consummate their transactions, using the port.

The port, gazetted on May 26, 2015, is now equipped for port operations and shipping services, international and local logistics, freight and forwarding to the inner reaches of Northern Nigeria and landlocked neighbouring countries of Niger Republic, Chad, and Cameroon.
According to the Nigerian Shippers Council, Kaduna State Chapter, it is expected that about 300, 000 people will get direct jobs from the Kaduna Inland Dry Port in a few years to come.

Our correspondent observes that the port is fully equipped to handle more than 29,000 containers per annum, and agents can legitimately take delivery of their imported cargoes and as well as forward their export goods directly to various countries abroad without hindrances
Already, Nigerian Customs and other relevant agencies now operate at the port having been provided with well-equipped office accommodation within the premises to enhance trade facilitation and reduce turnaround time.

Maritime experts are on ground in the port to provide counseling and consultancy services for import and export business processes and procedures. The dry port has an expansive container terminal, accessible by both rail and road with availability of modern cargo handling equipment and tools to facilitate quick delivery and turnaround time.

Available are large warehouses for cargo storage, export consolidation, stuffing/unstuffing operations and groupage which is fully equipped with a technical workshop, modern examination bay, expansive container terminal, and modern Assycuda systems (for customs). Also available is an expansive trailer park, CCTV cameras, police post, restaurants, sick bay and banking services.

Speaking to our correspondent the president of Nigerian Shippers Council, Kaduna State Chapter, Mohammed Kasali Abdulsalam declared that Kaduna now has a full-fledged port. He was optimistic that activities taking place at the port will transform Kaduna State into a business and commercial hub of the North.

According to Abdulsalam, the business community in Northern Nigeria and nearby countries have received a boost with the huge business potential, provided by the port. He said with the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, there will be greater ease of doing business which will also save cost and time.
“That is a major critical factor in business. For instance, as a shipper, I don’t need to go to Lagos to clear my goods. All I need to do is to inform my suppliers anywhere in the world that the final destination of the goods is Kaduna. So, what you need to do is to just write: Lagos/Kaduna Port. When your consignment reaches Lagos, it would be in transit to the final destination which is Kaduna.

“All they need to do is to come to Kaduna. And we have a lot of cultural, political, trade and even family relationship with the neighbouring countries. So, we will use this platform to call on business communities both in Kaduna, the 19 Northern states as well as the business communities of Chad, Niger Republic, Cameroon, and Central African Republic to make use of the Kaduna Inland Dry Port,” Abdulsalam said.
Abdulsalam projected that apart from government employees that are working in the port, over 300, 000 people will be directly employed within a period of at least five years.