- Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Pius Akutah (left), in a handshake with the Governor of Nassarawa State, Abdullahi Sule
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Towards a seamless export of sesame seeds and other similar trades by shippers in the state, the Nassarawa State Government is partnering the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for the establishment of an Inland Dry Port (IDP) in the state.
The NSC Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Pius Akutah, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting over the weekend with the Governor of Nassarawa State, Mr. Abdullahi Sule.
Akutah hinted that the governor has already issued directives on how the project could be actualised for the benefit of shippers in the state, according to a statement from the agency’s Assistant Director, Public Relations, Rebecca Adamu.
He further disclosed that Sule has directed the state’s attorney-general to meet with the management of the Nassarawa Investment Agency to actualise the aspiration.
He noted that the state produces a large volume of sesame seed, which necessitated the establishment of an IDP, adding that the state government would be visiting the NSC as part of efforts to fast-track the development of the facility.
He stressed that Nasarrawa is an advocate of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), and would ensure awareness creation on the importance of the trade agreement for exporters in the state.
The NSC, as the port economic regulator, also facilitates the development of IDPs in the six-geo political zones of the country, in order to bring shipping facilities nearer to the hinterlands as well as decongest the seaports.
Akutah believes that the dry port project in many parts of the country will boost employment for Nigerians and substantially increase revenue generation for the government.
