For Northern importers in Kano, Kaduna and Jos, the question is no longer whether dry ports will work, but which one is actually working in 2026 to reduce the Lagos gridlock tax . Nigeria has three major Northern inland dry ports: Kaduna Inland Dry Port , Dala Inland Dry Port Kano , and Jos Heipang Inland Dry Port . All were designed to take shipping services closer to the hinterland, reduce congestion at Apapa and Tin Can, and facilitate cross-border trade to Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Nigeria Anchorage compares them based on Nigerian Shippers’ Council , NPA and Federal Government data as of September 2026. 1. Kaduna Inland Dry Port — The Pioneer and Most Operational Location: Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria Capacity: 5,029 TEUs, expandable Status: Fully Operational since January 2017 Commissioned by: FG as first dry port of origin Operator: Inland Container Nigeria Ltd (ICNL) and NPA Rail Link: Fully connected to Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge — Containers move from Apapa to Kaduna in ...