Kigali, 21 October 2019: President Paul Kagame, on Monday, officially inaugurated the Kigali logistics platform, Rwanda’s largest inland cargo handling facility as the country bids to become a regional logistics hub.
The Kigali Logistics Platform was constructed by Dubai Ports World, a United Arab Emirates firm under a 25-year concession agreement with the Government of Rwanda signed in 2016. It has been operational since September 2018 year in test mode.
TradeMark Africa with funding from UKs Department for International Development (DFID) provided transaction advisory services which informed the establishment of the facility attracting investments from Dubai Ports World.
In 2016, DP World was granted a 25-year concession to develop and operate a new logistics centre in Kigali, Rwanda.
The DP World Kigali Logistics project is a greenfield concession agreement. The first phase will be built on 90,000m² (969,000 sq. ft) with a 12,000m² (129,000 sq. ft) container yard and a 19,600m² (211,000 sq. ft) warehousing facility. Estimated annual capacity is 50,000 TEUs and 640,000 tonnes of warehousing space. Total project cost is estimated at $35 million, and further development will be phased in line with demand growth.
Rwanda aims to enhance the country’s logistics industry to support the export of products for regional and international markets. The DP World Kigali Logistics Centre is expected to significantly contribute to the development of this strategy.
Speaking at the event, H.E. President Kagame said;
“I congratulate Dubai ports on successfully completing the test phase, which has already demonstrated significant reductions in truck turn-around time. With the launch of this facility, Rwanda is doing its part to connect with the larger market of more than 1.2 billion consumers in Africa and beyond. The Kigali Logistics Platform is really getting up and running at a pivotal moment in our continent’s economic transformation. We, therefore, want to challenge our businesspeople and investors, starting with the industries located in this neighbourhood and from the region and beyond, to make full use of this facility. There is no excuse not to pursue the vast opportunities available to us.”
Source: Press Release PDF
