21 Years On, Indigenes Hope Kano State Government Will Fulfil Promise Of Developing Inland Dry Port

After 21 years of promising to build an inland dry port in Zawachiki in Kumbosto Local Government Area in Kano State, members of the community hope the government will make good its renewed pledge to make the project a reality.

Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, last week announced the approval of over N2.3 billion for building infrastructure for the development of the project for which the state government acquired land in 1999.

The development of the port, according to the state government, is to improve the economic well-being of the state and create job opportunities for the people.

The inland dry port will be situated at Zawachiki Unguwar Yamma, Kumbosto Local Government Area.

Zubairu Almu, the Village Head of Zawachiki Unguwar Yamma, said “We are grateful for this development because it will develop our community and the local government at large, land surveyors surveyed the land for about two days.

“This is not the first time this project was proposed, the land has been empty with no equipment since 1999. The land belongs to the people of this locality.

“During the administration of former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the land was bought from the owners by government and they were migrated to the other side of the area,” Almu added

“However, most of these lands bought by government in the name of implementing this project, after some years, some of these lands, we discovered have been sold to unknown people.

“We are tired of false projects, the inland dry port is not the only project that has been proposed to be executed in my community.

“There are farming and rearing projects which have been abandoned by the state government for the past six years.

“There is a butchering market that was also said would be done here in Zawachiki, the equipment brought remained idle there for some years and later the equipment were uninstalled,” the ruler noted.

“But we hope this time this project would be executed by state government as it will improve the economy and also provide job opportunities for our youths in the community,” he added.

Haliru Musa from Zawachiki Unguwar Yamma, said “I will be glad if the dry port will be taken into consideration by the government now because most of us here in this community are farmers.

“If this dry port is implemented our economy will be boosted and our farming improve to become more commercialised.”

Amimu Usman Zawachiki who is also a member of Unguwar Yamma Zawachiki and a former land owner, said “it was in 1999 when we were given notice that government wants to build an inland dry port. However, we panicked over our future.

“In 2003 the government compensated us and issued land for us opposite our former houses and we built new houses. I have not seen any project or even the spirit of the inland dry port, because our lands have been unused for about 21years.

“But sometimes, once in a blue moon, land surveyors usually come for survey, we will appreciate the state government if it will seriously execute this project.”

Dr Abdulrazak Ibrahim, an economist with the Department of Economics, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, said the development of an inland dry port would improve the state economy and provide jobs opportunities for the youth.

He added that the project would revive the railway transportation system at Zawachiki and reduce the cost of transporting goods to other places.

Zawachiki Unguwar Yamma is a community blessed with vast of land, mineral resources and farmers.