FG assures NIWA on Rivers ports completion

As NIWA launches machineries to combat water hyacinth
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) will complete the Baro, Lokoja and Oguta River ports before the end of the present administration.

This is even as the agency launched the Aquatic Weed Harvester (FX-IIB) and the Vegetative Cutter (AVC)-Swamp Devils I, II, and III to combat the menace of water hyacinth on Nigerian waterways.

This assurance was given recently by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi at the 2017 NIWA International Conference and Exhibition tagged “Improving Navigability and Inland Port Development For Sustainable Investment On Nigerian Waterways”, held in Lagos recently.

Amaechi who explained that budgetary appropriations have been made to ensure the completion of the Baro, Lokoja and Oguta River ports urged private sector to maximally utilised the network of Rivers, Creeks, Lagoons and lakes in the country.
He however tasked the NIWA to procure bigger dredgers in order for the agency to perform better in its operational activities.

His words, “Similarly, adequate budgetary appropriations have been made to ensure the completion of the Baro, Lokoja and Oguta River ports within the lifespan of this administration.”

I am pleased to confirm that we have recorded tremendous progress on the concessioning of Onitsha River Port and we are very hopeful that the process of concessioning of the port will be completed before the end on the year.”

I am happy to announce that NIWA, especially under its new leadership, has been able to look inward and through their in-house engineers, have commenced the maintenance dredging of te Ajaokuta to Onitsha channels of River Niger; and this will save the country huge sums of money.

Thus I implore NIWA to procure bigger dredgers that have bigger capacity to perform better than they are doing presently.

Another area that should earn our commendations on the activities of NIWA is the progress recorded over the amendment of the NIWA Bill at the National Assembly. The bill has gone through third reading at the Senate and it is hoped that the House of Representatives will also support and endorse the new bill, which in essence will enhance the capacity of NIWA to enforce her rules and regulations, resolve the present crisis with her sister parastatals and other government agencies, and boost the revenue profile of the Authority in order to make it self-sustaining.

In a related development, NIWA also used the event to unveil the Aquatic Weed Harvester (FX-IIB) and the Vegetative Cutter (AVC)-Swamp Devils I, II, and III which will go a long way in clearing water hyacinth on Nigerian waterways and enhance navigation especially in the Southern part of the country.