Ajimobi, Amaechi, hands over $99m Oyo IDP project

The Oyo State and the federal government has formally exchanged letters of handover of 90 hectares of land acquired and donated to the federal government by the state for the establishment of the Oyo Inland Dry Port, estimated at USD99, 655, 626.
.The ceremony which held at the State House, Agodi Ibadan, had members of the state cabinet fully on ground, with top management staff members of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the facilitator of the project
Oyo State Executive Governor, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi while handing over the letter to the Transportation Minister and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and Barrister Hassan Bello respectively, said his administration believe that the project located at Olorisa Oke area of the state capital will turn around the economic fortune of the state around.
The governor expressed gratitude to the federal government for choosing the state as one of the pilot inland dry ports, noting that the economic partnership will grow in leaps and bounds.
He said, “We thank the federal government for bringing this strategic project that will give us significant economic booster and increase our social economic space. Let me also commend the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for your in-depth grasp of the industry and your commitment to the IDPs in deepening our national economic growth.”
The obviously elated outgoing governor said the government and people of Oyo State would rather that there is traffic gridlock akin to the Lagos ports current challenges flowing from booming port economic activities than have flashes of hooliganism arising from hunger and unemployment.
Amaechi while thanking the governor and his council of state for donating the land noted that the port industry have the potential for creating traffic gridlock within its operational axis and urged the government to consider integrated transportation network that would make it easy for importers and exporters access and exit the IDP.
The Council’s helmsman said all commercial and financial requirements for the proposed Inland dry port project in Ibadan will end on or before August, 2017. Bello said the procurement process of the project had already commenced while request for qualification had been advertised and bids opened and evaluated.
The next stage of the project he said would be the issuance of Request For Proposal (RFP) to be followed by negotiations which will be conducted by the Transaction Adviser. He added that the facility when fully operational will enhance the nation’s cargo handling and processing capacity with additional handling capacity for 40,000 TEUs per annum, stressing that the IDP has the potential to create wealth and generate massive employment for the indigenes of the state.
 According to him, “The proposed Ibadan IDP shall provide all container handling and storage services that a port typically offers. It shall be equipped with modern reach stackers and tractor trailer units for container handling and horizontal transport and will be connected to the national road and rail network.”