The Ogun State Government has revealed that the recently approved Kajola Dry Port has the potential to create at least 40,000 when it becomes operational.
The Commissioner for Transportation Olugbenga Dairo in statement explained that the Kajola Dry Port will not only create jobs, but also reduce transport and transaction costs, attract investments in infrastructure and regional development projects, and improve internal revenue generation for the state, among others.
Dairo further revealed that efforts had reached an advanced stage for the development of the Kajola Dry Port, adding that Ogun was determined to become Nigeria’s first investment and business destination.
The Commissioner also noted that the Kajola Dry Port will play an integral role in Ogun State’s Multimodal Transportation Master Plan.
“In 2021, His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun, directed us to put together a strategic Multimodal Transportation Master Plan for Ogun State.
“This we did in conjunction with experts from the prestigious Olabisi Onabanjo University and support from the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office.
“We were very mindful of the aspirations of His Excellency for economic and industrial development for the state, and so we deemed it critical to plan for an airport and a dry port.
“The airport is nearing completion, and our congruent plan is to develop a dry port that will receive goods from Apapa and Tincan dry ports.
“The good news is that we have gotten the Federal Government’s approval to develop, and we are not resting our oars on other processes towards this realisation.
“The proposed site has been satisfactorily assessed to be proximate to both the NRC narrow and standard gauge rail lines. It is a flat land good for a dry port, and there are Lafarge and Dangote cement factories within its catchment area.
“We are having constant engagements with the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Nigeria Shippers Council, ICRC, and recently, we visited the Nigeria Railway Corporation in Oyingbo, Lagos, and engaged the Commissioner for Police and Nigeria Civil Defence in that station on the way forward.”