Logistics Synergy: NPA Advances Integration of ICDs Under New Reform Agenda

BY KESIENNA SHEPHERDS

Group photo of Dala IDP team and management team of NPA after the meeting.

Demonstrating agility and forward-thinking leadership in response to evolving maritime policy, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has formally initiated the integration of Inland Container Depots (ICDs), including the Dala and Funtua Dry Ports into its core operational ecosystem.

​This strategic alignment follows the directive by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, transferring operational supervision of ICDs to the NPA as part of the broader Nigerian Port Ecosystem Reform Agenda (NPERA).

​​Marking a critical first step in this transition, NPA Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho hosted a high-level delegation at the Authority’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos. The visiting delegation included Mr. Ahmad Rabiu, Executive Director of Dala Inland Dry Port, alongside key representatives from Funtua Inland Dry Port.

​The engagement aimed to streamline operations to align hinterland logistics directly with coastal port workflows, deepen institutional synergies to establish joint frameworks for technical consultation, physical planning, and infrastructure development, and to enhance ease of doing business designed to eliminate systemic bottlenecks across Nigeria’s end-to-end supply chain.

​​Speaking on the strategic vision, Dr. Dantsoho emphasized that hinterland dry ports must keep pace with the massive infrastructure upgrades underway at Nigeria’s primary gateways—notably backed by a $1 billion loan facility dedicated to modernizing the Apapa and Tin Can Island Port complexes.

​”For our Inland Dry Ports to function at the same velocity as the ongoing modernization across our seaports, we must proactively upgrade dry port infrastructure and technical capacity,” Dr. Dantsoho stated. “As we integrate digital systems such as the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window, dry ports must deploy modern equipment to efficiently handle expanded cargo volumes.”

​Dr. Dantsoho also commended private sector investments in northern hinterland logistics—highlighting initiatives like APM Terminals’ Export Processing Terminal—and reiterated the NPA’s commitment to driving further private sector participation. He assured stakeholders that “the journey toward an optimized inland port system is firmly underway,” confirming upcoming physical inspection tours to both Dala and Funtua facilities.

​​Speaking on behalf of the dry port operators, industry veteran Mr. Hassan Bello commended the NPA for its seamless handling of the supervisory transition. He underscored the gazetted Port Act, which legally designates Inland Dry Ports as official ports of origin and destination, while calling attention to urgent operational priorities—most notably rail connectivity and multi-modal logistics links.

​Through structured follow-up assessments, physical inspections, and technical reviews, the NPA and its ICD partners are building a resilient framework to elevate Nigeria’s inland trade infrastructure into a world-class logistics network.