Nasir el-Rufai, governor of
Kaduna state, says he intends to send a delegation to the Republic of Niger to
tell it to start receiving goods at the Kaduna inland dry port instead of the
seaports in Lagos.
The governor was speaking on
Tuesday on the sidelines of the ceremony for the commencement of cargo delivery
by rail to the Kaduna inland dry port.
“I intend to send a delegation to
the Republic of Niger to sensitize the government of that country of the
opportunities of receiving their goods in Kaduna instead of Lagos and having to
truck them as well as any of their exports from Kaduna port to any part of the
world,” said el-Rufai.
“This is a great opportunity; it
will create jobs for our young people, it will expand business opportunities
and also lower the cost of doing business for our business men here in Nigeria
as well as lower the cost of agricultural products in southern Nigeria. So, it is a great day. I am very happy
“Our investment promotion agency
will go on drive to attract investors that will put up warehouses, cold stores
and Port facilities that will facilitate imports and exports from Kaduna Inland
Dry Port.
“We are committed to this and the
state government will go whatever we can by way of support to ensure that this
inland dry port is a remarkable success.”
The governor also commended
Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, and Hassan Bello, the executive
secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), for the major achievement.
“This is a major achievement
which has been made possible through the efforts of the Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian
Shippers Council. We are very grateful today’s event has opened a new vista of
commercial opportunities not only for Northern businessmen but even for our
neighbouring countries,” he said.
“It is a happy day for me as the
governor of Kaduna state and I am sure it is also a happy day for all northern
businessmen and women because with the commissioning of the dry port last year
and with this shipment, transportation of goods from the port, containers from
the seaports in Lagos to Kaduna by rail has confirmed that our inland dry port
is functioning and you can ship your goods direct from Kaduna to any part of
the world and you can also import goods from any part of the world direct to
Kaduna without your containers or any of your goods being opened up for
inspection in Lagos.”
El-Rufai had recently spoken on
how to end “godfatherism” in the politics of Lagos. His statement, however,
drew the attention of a group identified as Yoruba council of youths worldwide,
which questioned the impact of his political victory on the lives of Kaduna residents.
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