National Freight Office, Illela, completed, ready for take-off- Amaechi

…Reels achievements in other sectors of Transport Ministry

Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has announced the completion of the National Freight Office (NFO) in Illela, Sokoto State. A pilot scheme which is being replicated in Jibiya, Katsina State and Idiroko, Ogun State.

Amaechi made this known, Friday, during the Executive session of the 16th National Council on Transportation, held in Kano.

The Minister while lauding the different departments and agencies in the Ministry of Transportation for working assiduously in their various areas to achieve success in all programmes and projects embarked upon, said the NFOs in Jibiya and Idiroko are also nearing completion.

He recognised the achievements made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), including the take-off of the Deep Blue project, with all assets, vessels, aircraft and other gadgets acquired. He also recognised the Ministry’s achievements in the Rail transport sector and the efforts of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), particularly with the Lekki deep seaport and efforts in decongesting Apapa Port.

Amaechi however lamented that the contractor handling Lekki deep seaport has asked for more time to complete the project which was earlier slated to be completed by the end of the year. He said, “I have given them till December 2022 to deliver the project for commissioning. The NPA should follow up on this and make sure we meet that target.”

He also mentioned achievements by the Nigerian Shippers Council, especially on the establishment of Dry Ports across the country. In Kano, he expressed satisfaction that the work at Dala Inland Dry Port is progressing, as well as the primary school he mandated the contractor to build in the area.

“The last time I visited the site, many children were following us all the way into the Dala Dry port. Those were obviously out of school children, and I asked the contractor to build a primary school there and offer free education to the children in that area. The Permanent Secretary has briefed me that the school is now under construction. When we come for commissioning, we will commission both the school and the dry port. And it is not enough to commission the school, so we will not commission the dry port, nor the school, except we see teachers and the children in the school. The last time I was there, the contractor assured me that it will be completed by December,” Amaechi said.

The Minister urged all sectors to work towards attracting private investors – local and foreign, to fast-track the growth of the nation’s economy and closing the transport infrastructural gaps in the country while thanking the Kano state government for their magnanimity in hosting the 2021 National Council on Transportation.