Over $4b to get Jos Inland Dry Port functional as Amaechi gives 6months deadline

The Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, has task the Plateau State government and the concessionaire of the Jos Inland Dry Port Container to get it functional by June 2017.

Amaechi stated this in Jos the Plateau State Capital recently, during a walking visit, to inspect the Inland Dry Port Project situated at Heipang.

However, the Managing Director, Duncan Maritime Services and the Concessionaire of Jos Inland Dry Port, Dr. Godfrey Bawa Shitgurum, has also said that the estimated cost to complete the project and get it started will gulp a whooping sum of over 4b dollars out of which 2b dollars has already been expended.

The project which is 60 percent completed will gulp more than two more billion dollars to get it functional because of the current exchange rate in the country, says Mr. Shitgurum.

According to him, “we have spent approximately over 2b dollars to come this far and given the current fluctuation in dollars, we are projecting to expend over two more billion dollars to get the Jos Inland Dry Port Container fully commissioned by June”, he said.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Transport, who is also accompanied by the Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr. Hassan Bello, said that his visit to Jos was also to further solicit the Plateau State Government’s continuous support for the project especially in key areas in respect to the tripartite agreement.

The former Rivers State Governor explains that the project is in tripartite arrangement involving the Federal Government, the host State Government and the Private Investor, with each stakeholder playing a critical role in the development and implementation of the project.

In his part, the Plateau State Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, said the State Government has given the necessary support to the success of the project since he came into office.

Lalong said the State will continue to play its role until the project becomes a reality.

He assure the Minister that the project will be ready before June as have instructed.

The Heipang-Jos Dry Port Project was among the six gazetted projects granted approval by the Federal Executive Council in 2006; and was concessioned to Duncan Maritime Services in the north-central, being the proponent with most responsive bid.