BENJAMIN OMOIKE
Considering the importance of water transportation to Nigeria’s economy, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu, who recently appeared at the Ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House, Abuja, unveiled the new approach being adopted by NIWA to ensure that water becomes a safe option of transportation for Nigerians.
Inland waterways, such as rivers and canals, play a key role in trade among the states, especially in getting agricultural products, energy raw materials, and manufactured goods from the hinterlands to the coastal ports.
With Nigeria blessed with over 3,000kms of navigable waters, most of which according to experts are still in their natural states, and 28 out of the 36 States of the Federation having been successfully linked through water, NIWA has a great task of ensuring that water transportation becomes a safe option for Nigerians to ply their trade.
Until Nigeria’s Independence, water transportation played a major role as an inland transport network for foreign and expatriate trading companies but things changed after independence, as the country’s economy later veered away from continued inland waterways transportation for goods and passengers.
This, most experts have attributed to the neglect of essential policies for the rivers’ further development.
During the same period, transportation by water accounted for well over 30 per cent of the entire produce moved in the country. Sadly, the narrative later changed with huge attendance implications.
Water transportation, which is the cheapest means as compared to rail and road transportation, can be used to move all the agricultural produce and raw materials from the hinterlands through the waterways to the coastal ports en route to Europe, as well as help move the imported goods into the hinterlands.
Available records show that in 2017 for example, more than $232 billion in commerce traversed America’s inland waterways.
According to the current NIWA boss, who is keen on transforming and repositioning the sector, his leadership has not only addressed most of the challenges in the industry including dredging of ports but is also in talks with a South African company to deploy massive technology to help in monitoring and securing Nigeria Inland waterways.
“Discussion is ongoing with telecommunication companies to provide services across the length and breadth of Nigeria’s Inland Waterways. This will greatly improve the provision of security and safety within the waterways.”
Some of the measures put in place to ensure the safety of inland waterways include: “Automation of the security network on the Waterways to monitor activities and to provide an effective response to security challenges. Provision of lighthouses along the waterways to guide ships or to warn them of danger.
“Provision of armoured patrol boats to protect the Command from attack during operations. Generation, protection and sharing of data with security agencies to aid criminal investigation and security planning in illegal oil bunkering and piracy.
“Systematic boat registration scheme not only for standardisation of boats but also for the promotion of security. Provision of more personnel to the NIWA Police Command for effective coverage of the vast waterways network. Collaboration with neighbouring countries to secure boundary locations along Waterways
George Moghalu, during his recent interface with State House correspondents in Abuja, said that as part of efforts to avoid accidents on waterways, NIWA has completed laying of all necessary navigational aids and guides along the river Niger through Baru, Lokoja, Onitsha to Owerri river channels.
Moghalu also disclosed that NIWA has begun discussion with relevant partners (local and foreign) investors for Channel Management in line with international best Practices.
“Provision of Ports and Jetties at terminal facilities; partnership with Private Sector on the Channel management. Acquisition of dredgers for in-house maintenance of routes/channels to cut costs for the government.
“River training works to deepen navigable channels; regular hydrographic surveys of waterways in the prioritised channels for safe navigation.
“Regular engagement of consultants to remove wrecks from the inland waterways through the No-Cure-No- Pay model, besides wreck removal being carried out by the NIWA. Supply and Installation of navigational aids in all the dredged priority routes.
“Provision of river guide to enable safe navigation within the inland waterways; Improvement of inland waterways fleet capacity such as tugboats, passenger ferries, houseboats, patrol boats, barges, ambulances, etc.
“Establishment of search and rescue coordination centres within the Inland Waterways to promptly respond to emergencies; Enforcement of navigational laws; Improvement on the capacity of NIWA Police and other security agencies to provide security along the Inland Waterways.
“Collaboration with other security agencies in the provision of safety on the waterways. Robust capacity development for officers. Training and certification of boat captains. Hydrological data collection for hydraulic structures and flood sensitisation.
“Interfacing with the private sector on the development of inland waterways infrastructure Ports, Jetties, Ramps, Chanel management etc.”
Speaking further, he also said that NIWA has also commenced prompt and aggressive prosecution of Inland Waterways Transportation Code defaulters to serve as a deterrent for others who may have contemplated acting in defiance of the law.
He also assured that NIWA has enhanced collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, which has greatly improved security and safety within the Inland Waterways, particularly in the areas of shipbuilding, security, and provision of navigational aids and charting of the channels.
In addition to the NIWA Police and the Navy, Moghalu further disclosed that NIWA also encourages community policing in providing security to NIWA formations nationwide, especially in the Niger Delta
region.
Expansion of infrastructure: More ports and jetties are being constructed around the country and linkages between the water transport sector and other forms of
transportation is being promoted.
According to Moghalu, the key achievement of NIWA between 2021-2022 includes; Construction of a Jetty at Ilah, Delta State. Reconstruction/Rehabilitation of Warri Wooden Jetty to Concrete Jetty. Construction of Ferry Ramp at Jen, Taraba State and Ramp at Nzam, Anambra State. Shore Protection Works on River Niger at Jamata Inland River Port.
Extension of Shore Wall Protection Works at NIWA Marina Jetty, Lagos. Continuation of the construction of the Oguta Inland River Port in Imo State. Rehabilitation of Jetty at Umaisha, Nasarawa State. Provision of automated Hydrographic survey vessels.
Implementation of the International Ships and Ports Facilities Security (ISP’S) Code. Training and certifications/licensing of boat drivers and operators.
Provision of 8 Water Ambulances across the country’s navigable waterways. Removal of Wrecks in Bayelsa (River Nun). Establishing Search and Rescue stations in nine (9) locations across Nigeria. Rehabilitation of Port Harcourt and Warri Workshops. Ongoing construction of permanent berthing facility at Lokoja Dockyard.
Provision of two 30-32-seater passenger Ferry Boats to Yauri. Provision of 20 Patrol Boats for NIWA Area Offices. Establishment of the taskforce on patrol and enforcement of waterways protocols in the Lagos and Onitsha Area Offices. Massive distribution of Lifejackets to boat operators nationwide to ensure the safety of life during boat mishaps.
Laying of Navigational and Marker Buoys, removal of wrecks and derelicts and also maintenance dredging in Port Harcourt. Survey and Charting of the Lower Rivers Niger and Benue by NIWA and the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office, promoted by the Sealinks Promotional Company Limited and funded by the NEXIMBank.
Provision of Jetty at Tin-Can Island in collaboration with the Ecological Fund Office. Training of 20 NIWA Engineers and Technicians by Yamaha Motors of Japan on the repair/maintenance of Yamaha outboard engines.
Resumption of construction work at Lokoja River Port at Jamata, Kogi State. Successful concessioning of Onitsha River Port to Universal Elysium Consortium Limited
Aggressive enforcement of the Inland Waterways Transportation Code to ensure safety on the Inland Waterways.
