Developing Nigeria’s Inland Waterways

Recently, the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Boss Gida Mustapha, assured Nigerians of his commitment to develop the country’s inland waterways. Speaking in Lokoja, Mustapha said that with Africa’s second largest river, Nigeria has no reason not to utilise her inland waterways. We no less agree with the maritime boss. There is no doubt that Nigeria has about 10,000 kilometers waterways of which if developed and equipped with auxiliary facilities will provide all year round navigation for transportation of bulk cargo and passengers. Regrettably, this natural resource is yet be utilised to the fullest more than 55 years after Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
Evidences show that inland waterways reduces transport cost for heavy and bulky cargoes, even as it has the capability of transporting large amount of cargoes in one time from one destination to another. Among all the transport modes, inland waterways are the least capital-intensive. In addition, it is environment-friendly while supplementing rail and road transport and helping in the decongestion of roads. Moreover, the risks of accidents and breakdowns are minimum as compared to any other form of transport.
Incidentally, both the Niger and Benue rivers transverse most parts of country. On the Niger side, starting from Kebbi in the Northwest through Kwara, in the West to the confluence town of Lokoja in the middle and from the Benue side, starting from Adamawa through Benue State to Lokoja and southward through Onitsha to Yenagoa in the Niger Delta.   Therefore, it stands to reason that developing them would be a potential game changer capable of engendering an economic revival that will ameliorate the debilitating poverty in the country. Unfortunately, successive governments have touched upon the importance of developing the country’s inland waterways many times, but not much has been done in that direction.
Nigeria should borrow a leaf from Germany, United Kingdom and United States of America that developed the Rhine, Thames and Mississippi rivers respectively, thereby engendering massive economic development in those countries. It is not coincidental that most of the major economic centres in the United States and other developed countries are located along the banks of major inland rivers and waterways. In addition, it is not surprising that China’s leading economic city of Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

We can deduce that once the Niger and Benue rivers are dredged making them accessible for commercial traffic, there will be a surge in economic activities in every part of the country especially the hinterland.
Fact is that they will open up Nigeria’s bread basket to commercial farming since farmers in flood plains of both rivers will gain access to move crops and supplies to and from the market. Nigeria being a major oil producing and exporting country records about 2,000 petroleum tanker vessels calling at her ports annually. Industry analysts therefore wonder why the federal and states government cannot take advantage of the huge opportunities in the sector to create jobs.
Inland waterways have huge potential for public private partnership-led investments in dredging, construction, operation and maintenance of barges, terminals, storage facilities and navigation, as well as tourism. Therefore developing them is a viable option towards sustainable urban development. It is time our rivers once again become part of our settlements like in the olden days.