By Godwin Oritse

The Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, has disclosed that only one bid was received for the Ibadan Inland Container Depot, ICD, as at the date of closure of bids.

Speaking to  Vanguard Maritime Report, Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr Hassan Bello, said that another bid came in after the submission of bids had closed adding that the late bid could not be entertained.

Although Bello was silent on the amount quoted by the bidder, he, however, said that the figure in the bid was still open to negotiation.

He also explained, “the fact that there is only one bidder for the Ibadan ICD project does not mean that the company has won the bid.

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He said that the bid will still have to undergo an evaluation process by the Infrastructural Concession Regulatory Commission, (ICRC) before it can be adjudged to be successful

Recall that while briefing the former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the representatives of the Oyo State government, during a visit to the site of the project, Bello had said the proposed dry port would be constructed based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Also, Bello had in 2018, during a courtesy call on the former Governor of Oyo State, Mr Abiola Ajimobi, said that the 20,000 tonnes capacity Ibadan dry port would be developed in three phases at a total cost of $134 million.

The NSC boss said that apart from other benefits, the project was expected to create 3,000 direct jobs on completion.

Bello, accompanied by representatives of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and representatives of CRCC China-Africa Construction Limited, had presented an Outline Business Case Compliance Certificate (OBC) of the project.

He had stated that the project would be constructed at Olorisa-Oko, the terminal end of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge railway line, saying this would open up Oyo and adjoining states for export.

According to him, the need to develop a port in the hinterland is more demanding now than in 2007 when the Federal Executive Council approved the concession of six Inland Container Depots across the country.