President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned Nigerias first inland dry port in Kakuri, Kaduna State, on Thursday, January 4, 2018, before returning to Abuja.
The president commissioned the port after he commissioned 10 new coaches and two additional locomotives at Rigasa train station in Kaduna earlier on Thursday.
The president was accompanied by beaming Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; Kano State governor, Umar Ganduje;Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
While speaking at the commissioning, the president expressed his delight at the project which is the first ahead of six other inland dry ports earmarked for different parts of the country in Ibadan, Aba, Kano, Jos, Funtua and Maiduguri.
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The president hailed the importance of the port and urged customs and ports officials to be committed to making appropriate use of the facilities and make the port work.
He said, "The hinterland business community has waited for too long for such facility that has tremendous potentials to ease the way of doing international business for the interior based importers and exporters.
"The Development of Inland Dry Ports is an important factor in our economic development efforts. As Ports of origin for exports and ports of destination for imports, the Inland Dry Ports will accelerate the implementation of our economic diversification policy.
"The concept of Inland Dry Port has gained widespread importance with the tremendous changes in international transportation as a result of the container revolution and the introduction of door-to-door delivery of cargo. It provides importers and exporters located within the nation’s hinterland, especially industrial and commercial outfits, access to shipping and port services without necessarily visiting the seaports.
"It also enables them to process clearance of their import cargo and take delivery of their raw materials and machinery close to their places of business. Furthermore, the Inland Dry Ports will also provide our exporters the much needed facilities to process, package, consolidate and forward their exports to their customers all over the world without having to physically be at the seaports.
"This replicates the port economy in the various centres where the Dry Ports are located inland thereby generating employment and contributing to the ease of doing business.
"It remains for Customs and Ports officials to make these facilities work and not to frustrate business, commercial and industrial enterprises with unnecessary bureaucracy and inflicting on them delays and hardships, thereby defeating the object of the whole exercise as has happened in the past. Make these facilities work this time.
"I congratulate the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Nigerian Shippers' Council and indeed the hinterland importers and exporters on this epoch making occasion.
"In addition to the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, six other Inland Dry Ports in Ibadan, Aba, Kano, Jos, Funtua and Maiduguri, which have also been gazetted, are at various stages of completion.
"I commend the initiative of Nigerian Shippers' Council towards promoting the provision of these modern transport infrastructural facilities and urge the Concessionaires of the other six Dry Ports to emulate the Concessionaires of the Kaduna Dry Port by accelerating work on theirs so that, in the next few months, they too can be commissioned.
"With the full complement of the seven Dry Ports, congestion at the seaport and traffic gridlock in the port complex will be eliminated. Consequently, the cost of transportation and therefore cost of doing business will be reduced."
The president also praised Governor El-Rufai for the facilitation of the establishment and urged relevant stakeholders to properly utilise the port.
He said, "I also want to commend the Government of Kaduna State for facilitating the establishment of Kaduna Inland Dry Port. The provision of access roads and other utilities to the Dry Port by the Kaduna State Government is worthy of emulation by the other Dry Ports host State Governments.
"I urge all relevant stakeholders, across the public and private sectors, particularly Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Shipping Companies and Agencies, Seaport Terminal Operators, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Road Haulers and importers and exporters to utilize this facility optimally."
After the ceremony, the president headed back to the Federal Capital Territory.