OPINION:Inland Container Terminal and Industrial Park Project by Sen Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and the Anambra Progressives: What They Truly Entail!

***By Ugochukwu ‘Thanos’ Ifeanyi***

A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation.

The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example trains or trucks, in which case the terminal is described as a maritime container port.

Alternatively, the transshipment may be between land vehicles, typically between train and truck or trucks and bigger vehicles, in which case the terminal is described as an inland container port.

It’s no secret that in today’s global economy, Nigeria has become a major buyer of manufactured goods from around the globe.

Consequently, our domestic manufacturing base is virtually nonexistent and imports are increasing.

Perhaps surprisingly, even with this shift, industrial real estate demand continues to expand at a rate of 6 to 10 percent annually. This expansion is being driven by the real estate needs of importing companies, which must find strategic locations that can support the many functions of the new distribution patterns required for foreign-made goods.

As a result, our country’s major ports are facing tremendous congestion as the inbound volume of goods manufactured abroad continues to escalate.

Projections for the next five to six years indicate that some ports will triple their containership capacity and freight throughput.

This is where the ingenuity and progressive capacity of Sen Dr Ifeanyi Ubah alongside the Anambra Progressive and Development Union, shine so brightly as Ebubechukwu Uzo is about to setup the first ever inland port in Eastern Nigeria To accommodate the rise in global importation, where inbound goods are quickly off-loaded from ships in Lagos or Port Harcourt and moved to inland container terminal for subsequent handling and redistribution within the country.

The advantages are numerous.

1. Close proximity to Onne Port in Port Harcourt and the proposed Onitsha terminal
2. Efficient access to logistics services, transportation systems, and consumer markets.
3. Large flexible buildings and extensive parking for containers and trailers, as well as easy access to mature transportation infrastructures.
4. Benefits will be available through the Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) program as the project will have as its partners, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Bank of Industry of Nigeria and People’s Republic of China (where 99% of products come from)
5. Containers will be given a 90-day docking permission as against the 7-day docking permission obtainable at the maritime terminals in Nigeria. This will save the importers millions of Naira by cutting damages and allowing enough time to conveniently distribute their products
6. Cheap labor and property costs
7. Serve as a global logistics supply center and distribution hub for importing and exporting a variety of products.
8. Less traffic congestion

In today’s new global economy, speed to market with finished goods and lowest cost shipping are the drivers more than ever and Sen Dr Ifeanyi Ubah is poised to solving the nightmares of our importers, whilst boosting our exporting capacity as the empty containers will be used for exportation of domestic products as well, thereby boosting our local economy and catapulting the GDP of Anambra State beyond the stratosphere especially when combined with the Industrial City Project as both will combine seamlessly with the other to produce an economic explosion

At this point, it’s needless to point out the numerous and continuous advantages to the immediate locale and Anambra State from employment of thousands of Ndi Anambra to provision of community services and projects not to mention the windfall that will follow the industrial tourism it will attract

Now add all these to the extra 25,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs and services that will be provided by the Industrial Park which will house 500 industries, producing everything conceivable whilst providing accommodation for the workers through the 500 world class dormitories, fully equipped to encourage and optimise the workers and the working environment, it becomes clear that Ikemba Igbonine is not just a solution think tank, but also a man whose capacity, positively impacts on humanity… If he can achieve all these now, it is easy to see just how glorious Anambra State will be under his 8yr reign as the Governor

Sen Dr Ifeanyi Ubah is a futuristic man, whose vision is clearly for a prosperous, healthy and self sufficient Ndi Igbo and Anambra State, just as the true Igbo Leader he is.