Nigeria’s federal government has given itself a firm one-year window to push the Ijebu-Ode Inland Dry Port from blueprint to reality, in a bid to relieve mounting pressure on the country’s congested seaports and sharpen its edge in regional trade.
The timeline was announced at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held in Abeokuta, convened by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. Government agencies, industry operators, and technical consultants gathered to review and validate feasibility reports that will guide the project’s execution — cementing the inland facility’s role as a critical link in Nigeria’s freight and logistics network.
Permanent Secretary Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, who stood in for Minister Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, made clear that the maritime sector is not peripheral to Nigeria’s economic ambitions — it is central to them. She stressed that realising its potential demands reforms built on hard data and genuine industry insight, not bureaucratic guesswork.
The minister, speaking through a representative, was emphatic that the Abeokuta session was no box-ticking exercise. The validation process, he said, was designed to enrich technical reports with the kind of on-the-ground, institutional knowledge that only sector operators can provide — ensuring the final project design is practical, enforceable, and aligned with existing regulatory frameworks.
“By harmonising the perspectives of all key institutions, we aim to foster a shared understanding of the project’s strategic direction,” Oyetola noted, adding that early stakeholder buy-in is essential to navigating the complexities of Nigeria’s maritime environment — and to avoiding the implementation pitfalls that have derailed similar infrastructure efforts in the past.
The consultancy work underpinning the project is expected to wrap up within the 12-month window, with Oyetola calling on agencies and technical partners to maintain momentum and meet the deadline.
The Ogun State Government also drew recognition for its contribution — most notably the provision of land for the facility — reflecting a growing willingness between federal and state governments to co-own major infrastructure projects. Ogun, for its part, made no secret of its broader ambitions: state officials reiterated their intention to position the state as a premier logistics and industrial destination, with the dry port serving as a cornerstone of that strategy.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Dapo Abiodun, Commissioner for Transportation Engr. Gbenga Dairo described the inland port as a strategic asset that would plug Ogun more deeply into national and regional supply chains — and attract the cargo traffic and investment that comes with it.
The initiative also carries continental significance. Director of Maritime Services Mr. Meshack Adeola Oyinloye tied the project to a broader policy architecture — including the National Transport Policy, the Nigerian Ports Masterplan, and Nigeria’s commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) — framing the Ijebu-Ode dry port not just as local infrastructure, but as a node in Africa’s emerging trade corridor.
The Abeokuta meeting brought together a formidable coalition of stakeholders: the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the Ogun State Government, and consultancy firm Dewlands International Company Limited. The cross-agency turnout signals that this time, the intent is to move from plans to pavement.
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