ICD to start operation by May

Posted: Monday, September 6, 2010

The Ibadan Inland Container Depot (ICD) would be operational by May 2011, the President, Oyo State and South-West Shippers’ Association, Dr Ayo Omotosho has said. Omotosho said on telephone recently that some structures on the site including the stacking bays were ready.
He said the building to accommodate customs officers and other government agencies meant to work at the container depot is also ready. The shipper added that the rail line connecting Lagos to Ibadan is fast undergoing rehabilitation.
Omotosho, however, said the major challenge facing the project is the need to construct the rail sideline to link Ibadan with the ICD depot in Erunmu, a suburb of Ibadan.
According to him, the project is very dear to the hearts of both Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala as well as the State Commissioner for Commerce and Co-operatives, Dr Kola Balogun. He said the concessionaire - Catamaran Logistics Ltd is also working toward ensuring that operations at the ICD site commence by May 2011.
Omotosho was optimistic that the project would provide more jobs for the people of Oyo state in particular and the nation at large, adding that the federal, state and local governments would also benefit in terms of revenues.
Other inland container sites are in Jos, Kano, Isiala-Ngwa (Abia) and Container Freight Stations (CFS) in Maiduguri and Funtua.
The various concessionaires of the ICDs would operate for between 25 to 30 years and then transfer the structures to government.
Last week, Thursday, a meeting aimed at successful completion of the Ibadan ICD project was held and in attendance at the meeting were representatives of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the State Shippers’ Association, the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, the Nigeria Police and the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Others at the meeting were representatives of the concessionaire- Catamaran Logistiscs Ltd and representatives of Erunmu community.
The meeting was presided over by the state commissioner for commerce and co-operatives.
It would be recalled that the prior to now, the state government had not been very committed to the project.
The state government made a commitment in June 2009 saying that operations would begin on the site by end of 2009 but this was not so.