Northern Nigeria's dry ports come on stream: what rail-linked Dala and Funtua change for cashew and sesame exports

Northern Nigeria's dry ports come on stream: what rail-linked Dala and Funtua change for cashew and sesame exports

Nigeria's port authority has begun closing the rail and logistics gaps that stop the Dala and Funtua dry ports from working as full ports of origin, after the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy moved oversight of the dry ports to the Nigerian Ports Authority. For sesame, cashew and hibiscus exporters, the test is whether northern lots reach Lagos by rail and where documents clear.

On 8 October 2026, NPA managing director Dr Abubakar Dantsoho met Dala Inland Dry Port's executive director and Funtua Inland Dry Port representatives at its Lagos headquarters, according to DailyTrend. It followed minister Adegboyega Oyetola's 3 September 2026 directive transferring the Nigerian Shippers' Council's inland dry port functions to the NPA, reported by The Whistler, under the NPERA Act 2026, which turns the council into the sector's economic regulator.

Rail access is the constraint. Hassan Bello, speaking for the delegation, welcomed the transfer but flagged inadequate rail connectivity and wider logistics constraints, and Leadership reports that Dala was designed as a multimodal facility with rail access. Dantsoho said the dry ports must match the Port Community System and National Single Window being rolled out at the seaports.

Both sites are gazetted as ports of origin and destination, allowing cargo to be documented and cleared inland. Dala's operator says it moves cargo by road and rail and that shipping lines can issue through bills of lading there, and an APM Terminals train service from Apapa to Dala began in June 2024, Daily Trust reported.

Attribute	Dala Inland Dry Port	Funtua Inland Dry Port
Location	Kano State	Katsina State
Rail position	Apapa freight service launched June 2024	Rail needs yet to be assessed
Site development	200 hectares	FIDP Limited shareholders' deal, April 2026

What this means for buyers

Do not price in an inland loading point yet. October produced a framework for technical consultations and physical planning, plus assessment visits that will set priority interventions. No new service, schedule or completion date has been published. For the cover questions under CIF and CIP, see our note on cargo insurance.

Where the dry ports change paperwork is at declaration. Form NXP must be endorsed by the exporter's bank and is only available to a company holding a valid NEPC exporter's certificate; NAQS issues the phytosanitary certificate after inspection and any required treatment; the certificate of origin comes from a chamber of commerce; fumigation is certified before sailing, per an AgroMax checklist. If a contract names a dry port as loading point, confirm which agency inspects there and whether the through bill of lading names Kano or Apapa.

The northern catchment is narrower than the headline suggests. NEPC places sesame production in ten north and central states, and BusinessDay puts hibiscus mainly in Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto, with Mexico taking roughly 85 per cent of it, and the clearance checks in our hibiscus guide. Cashew is the exception: IndexBox puts its belt in Kogi, Oyo, Enugu, Benue and Kwara, so raw nuts still move to the ports by road. Asia is where the volume goes: IndexBox has China, Japan and India at 60 per cent of Nigerian sesame export value.

FAQ

Q: Can Dala and Funtua load export containers today?
A: Both are gazetted ports of origin and destination, and an Apapa freight service to Dala was launched in June 2024, but October's engagement created consultations and assessments, not a service. Confirm the named port of loading with your exporter.

Q: Which documents travel with an inland-loaded sesame or hibiscus lot?
A: A NAQS phytosanitary certificate, a fumigation certificate issued before sailing, a certificate of origin from a chamber of commerce, and Form NXP endorsed by the exporter's bank.

Q: Why does cashew route differently from sesame?
A: Cashew is not a northern crop; its belt spans Kogi, Oyo, Enugu, Benue and Kwara, so raw nuts travel by road, while sesame and hibiscus grow within the ports' catchment.