The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA)said on Wednesday that a total of eight companies have been licensed by the authority to commence barge operations from Lagos seaports to the Onitsha dry port in Anambra state.
Managing Director of the waterways authority, Dr. George Moghalu disclosed this during the inauguration of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC)- NIWA Technical Committee in Lagos.
The MD who was represented by NIWA’s General Manager in charge of Marine, Mr. Joseph Ororo who joined the meeting virtually , noted that the companies would commenced operations in a couple of weeks adding that the collaboration between the council and the waterways authority would further enhance the maritime potential.
According to him, the collaboration between both agencies was aimed to move cargoes on the inland waterways to the hinterlands without hiccups saying that the synergy was coming at the appropriate time to boost waterways mode of transportation.
He noted that the project of barging cargoes from Lagos to Onitsha river port cannot be executed by NIWA alone but stressed the need for a robust working relationship with other sister agencies of the government.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’Council, Barrister Hassan Bello explained that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Technical Committee by both agencies of the federal government under the Ministry of Transportation, was set up to seamlessly boost cargo movement via the inland waterways.
Bello also stressed that need for constant dredging and charting of the river channels to enhance effective navigation of the crafts.
He called on management of NIWA to ensure that barging activities was exclusive to indigenous players in sub sector as part of efforts to build capacity for local operators.
Bello pointed out that the movement of barges of the inland waterways must be properly regulated by the agency even as he harped on the need to connect the brown waters with roads and railways in furtherance to facilitate movement of of goods to and from the hinterlands.
Considering the important role of NIWA operations in the marine ecosystem, the Executive Secretary affirmed that “We look forward to the development of indigenous technical and managerial capacity for barge operations.
” It is pertinent that this sector is adequately standardised to ensure safe,secure and efficient service delivery for proper integration of barge operations into our nation’s transportation system to help decongest our seaports and facilitate multi modal approach to cargo evacuation.
“Our target is to ensure the availability, affordability stability, predicability adequacy and accessibility of Transport services, facilitation of multi-modal approaches to movement of cargoes and persons, development of critical transport infrastructure that support trade as well as enforcement of good services standards and best practices across transport mode as reasonable cost in Nigeria.
“We have river ports that can readily support decongestion of the port through quicker evacuation of containers from the seaports of the hinterland by barges.
However ,highpoint of NSC/NIWA Technical Committee membership was the inauguration proper which has Ms A. I. Ezedinma Director Regulatory Services , Mrs A. V. Okam, Director, Inland Transport Services, Barrister T.H Idris, Director Legal Services and Chief Cajetan Agu , Director Consumers Affairs Department all from the Nigerian Shippers’Council.
Others are:General Manager (Legal/cS) Barr. Danladi lbrahim, GM(Engr. Service), Engr. Christopher Asindi, GM(Marine Service)Engr. Joseph Ororo and GM(Survey) Surv. Denis Osamwuta.
By Roland Ekama
