By Idu Jude
As the Federal Government of Nigeria moves the action to commence Kaduna/Kano states railway line by the month of July, the Kano State Governor Umaru Ganduje has expressed readiness to herald economic potentials when the project is completed.

Governor Ganduje, make the remark Friday when the Minister of Transportation Rt Honourable Chibuike Amaechi paid him a visit in readiness for the project.

The Governor however expressed interest in galvanizing private sectors to ensure that Kano State’s inland Dry port does not go the way of others.

He said based on the population of the State, the volume of imports and export was very high noting that Kano has the highest vote during elections and the highest seat at the National Assembly, hence he would make the Dala Inland Dry Port wet in terms of performance.

Ganduje, however, said that with the international airport in Kano and the businesses happening with other neighboring countries, the Dry Port and the Rail line will boost the economy of the State.

Earlier in his speech, the visiting Minister of Transportation Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi,  who led a delegation of Shippers council of Nigeria, said that the Kaduna Kano project is commencing as the ministry was rounding up the Lagos-Ibadan rail project billed to be commissioned in June.

He said that because of the economic viability of the state, the rail line and the Inland Dry Port would boost the business activities of the state and encourage import and export stating that even though there is no River in the state, maritime activities will be brought there.

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” We are here because we want to see how far you have gone with the Dala  Inland Dry Port because between now and July, we would start work on the Kano-Kaduna part of the rail and wherever we link the Kano rail to Kaduna and link Ibadan to Abuja,  then we have the problem of cargoes.

” We have to learn how to manage cargoes that come to Kano as you know,  we are also linking Kano-Maradi, so Kano will be the hub for the railway sector with a major station in Kano, it will be able to control the volume of human traffic in Kano.

” Kano is important to Nigeria, Kano is also important to the railway sector and we are trying to see how to bring Maritime into Kano, it is important to note that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council North-West Zonal Office is located at Kano because of the economic importance.

” We believe that the government has the capacity to protect those projects and respond to the needs of the users,” he said.