The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has moved to address rail connectivity and infrastructure challenges at inland dry ports to improve cargo movement, reduce logistics bottlenecks and strengthen Nigeria's maritime supply chain.
The initiative followed the transfer of operational oversight of inland dry ports to the NPA by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola.
The NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, disclosed the move during a meeting with the Executive Director of Dala Inland Dry Port, Mr Ahmad Rabiu, and representatives of Funtua Inland Dry Port at the authority's headquarters in Marina, Lagos.
Dantsoho stressed the need to upgrade infrastructure and technical capacity at the facilities to complement ongoing modernisation at the nation's seaports and accommodate growing cargo volumes.
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He said the integration of digital platforms, including the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window, into seaport operations must be matched by improvements in equipment and operational capacity at inland dry ports.
The NPA chief also called for increased private-sector investment to expand cargo-handling capacity and improve operational efficiency.
He cited APM Terminals' establishment of an Export Processing Terminal in Northern Nigeria as an example of private-sector participation in inland logistics development.
Dantsoho assured stakeholders that the authority was working to optimise the inland port system and announced plans to visit the Dala and Funtua facilities to assess their operational conditions and infrastructure requirements.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Hassan Bello welcomed the transfer of operational oversight to the NPA, describing the transition as seamless.
Bello cited the gazetted Port Act, which recognises inland dry ports as official ports of origin and destination, while highlighting inadequate rail connectivity and other logistics constraints affecting their operations.
