Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, says he is interested in collaborating with the Nigerian Shippers Council in breaking all barriers hindering the operationalization of the Isiala Ngwa Inland Dry Port project.
Governor Otti who was speaking when officials of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council paid him a courtesy visit, in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, called for urgent federal government intervention to address critical challenges stalling the operationalization of the project almost two decades after its conception.
He decried the prolonged delay in bringing the Isiala Ngwa IDP into operation, describing it as a major economic loss and a clear sign that something fundamental was wrong with the implementation process.
Governor Otti blamed the absence of reliable rail connectivity as a key obstacle to the viability of the inland dry ports, noting that moving goods from the seaports to the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) requires the cheapest and most efficient mode of transport- the railway.
The Governor while acknowledging the federal government’s ongoing investments in rail infrastructure, including the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri corridor, noted expression of disappointment by some people that the south East region was being offered narrow gauge rails instead of standard gauge like other parts of the country.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr Akutah Ukeyima, called on the state government to support the revival and full operationalization of the Isiala Ngwa Inland Dry Port (IDP), a key project under Nigeria’s port reform programme.
He commended Governor Otti for his visionary leadership and commitment to economic transformation, describing Abia as a state strategically positioned to drive regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Dr Ukeyima noted that the Isiala Ngwa Dry Port, gazetted in 2006 and concessioned to Eastgate Container Terminal Limited for a period of 30 years, has remained largely dormant with only about 10 per cent completion due to infrastructure gaps and slow equity commitments by stakeholders, noting that when fully operational, the port will provide direct access to global markets for Aba’s well-known industrial clusters and SMEs, generate thousands of jobs in logistics and related sectors, and boost the state’s internally generated revenue.
He stated the commitment of the Nigeria Shippers’ Council to provide regulatory and technical support and work closely with the state government to realise the full potential of the inland port.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Commissioners among other top government officials were present during the visit.
