The Kaduna Inland Dry Port (KIDP) is ready for commencement of the Federal Government’s Domestic Export Warehouse (DEW) and the Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP).
The General Manager of the port, Rotimi Raimi-Hassan, disclosed this ahead of full commencement of the scheme in March. He said KIDP has put in place all necessary actions for smooth take off and hitch-free services.
Raimi-Hassan also stated that KIDP has procured three trucks through the Federal Government’s support, saying the trucks will be branded with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) approved mark to deliver export cargoes directly into the ports.
He revealed that all checks, examinations and due diligence required must have been completed at the designated DEW facilities, of which KIDP is one of the nine approved ports.
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), had approved the setting up of the domestic export warehouses to ease supply chain constraints as part of its efforts to boost non-oil export in the country.
At an interactive session with private sector export stakeholders in Abuja, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Ezra Yakusak, reiterated the council’s commitment to the success of programme
At a meeting to showcase key beneficiaries of the Export Expansion Facility Programme in Abuja, Yakusak said the agency is committed to addressing logistics constraints for the competitiveness and promotion of export.
“Kaduna Inland Dry Port, being Nigeria’s first dry port, has been noted to be equipped with modern facilities and highly skilled manpower to handle and process exports as a way of helping in the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda.
“DEW is expected to reduce the cost of doing business for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), exporting companies, and also be a one-stop transit facility/terminal where pre-shipment activities like packaging/labeling, fumigation, pre-shipment inspection, among others of export designated agricultural products in preparation for transportation to the ports priory to eventual shipment,” he explained.
