Bayo Akomolafe 
Borno State Government and Nigerian Shippers Council ( NSC) have resolved to boost trans-border trade in Niger, Chad and Cameroon through the establishment of an Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Maiduguri.
The Governor of the state, Babagana Zulum said in Lagos on Wednesday that the inland dry port would be ready in six months.
Zulum said during a visit to the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) that the dry port would take away many young people off the street by providing employment opportunities for them.
He noted: “Establishing the inland dry port in Maiduguri will bring a lot of opportunities to the government and people of Borno state. It will create employment generation, which will take away thousands of young children off the street. This is very important.
‘This is what we are looking for. The relationship between our border countries will be enhanced the economy of the nation will grow very well and our GDP will increase.”
The governor explained that the country was trying to divert her attention from the mono-economy, which is oil by investing in other opportunities, saying that the Federal Government was working to ensure rail lines were rehabilitated under President Bola Tinubu’s initiatives.
“Zulum stressed that the state was in the process of rehabilitating all the roads as thousands of trucks were entering Maiduguri on a daily basis.
He said: “The establishment of a good road system will fast track the process. Even in the absence of rail, the efficiency and effectiveness of the road transportation system are okay for now for the inland dry port. We expect the project to be ready in six months.”
Also, the Executive Secretary of NSC, Pius Akutah explained that the establishment of an inland dry port in Borno would boost Nigeria’s trade with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Akuta said: “As the Governor has said, it is important for Borno State as a border town to these three countries to have an Inland Dry Port. The benefits that will accompany such cannot be overemphasised.
“With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in place, you cannot overemphasise the need to have this kind of critical infrastructure in a place like Maiduguri, Borno State that has a boundary with three countries within the area.
“This is business and the initiative is not for the government to drive the day-to-day running of the inland dry port. It is a public-private dimension and therefore, private-sector driven. So the two entities involved should come together and fast track the process of harmonising and agreeing among themselves.”
