Our Vision is to Make Nigeria Leader in Waterways Transportation in Africa, Says NIWA MD
MD OF NIWA, MOGHALU
By Francis Ugwoke
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) , Dr. George Moghalu, has said that the vision of the authority is to make Nigeria the leader in inland waterways transportation, development and management in Africa.
Moghalu said part of this was to ensure the development of infrastructural facilities for a national inland waterways network that will connect the creeks and the rivers with the economic centres using the river ports as vocal points for intermodal exchange.
He told the Transport Minister, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo during a visit to the Port Harcourt office of the authority that the huge opportunities in the nation’s inland waterways “can only be maximized if concerted efforts are geared towards the development of infrastructure and proper funding to make waterways attractive and competitive to players.”
Moghalu spoke recently on the occasion of the inauguration of 32-seater ferry boat and three patrol boats acquired by the authority for operations in the Eastern zone.
He disclosed that part of the measures was the licensing of several companies for the transportation of cargo across the waterways in Nigeria.
Some of the companies will be operating from Lagos and Onne ports to the hinterlands and vice versa, according to him.
He told the Minister, “To achieve more of these, the authority is poised to continuously ensure the development of indigenous manpower as well as providing navigational aids, river training works, wreck surveys and removal, establishment of river gauges, construction of jetties, capital and maintenance dredging, establishment of search and rescue stations, rivercraft certification and training of boat drivers and crew, as well as continuous safety sensitization campaigns.
“As we speak, the sixth batch of training and certification of boat skippers by the authority is ongoing in Lagos. Even expatriates are participating in this training and certification exercise by the authority”.
Sambo had during the visit assured that the Ministry of Transport will support the authority to ensure that it achieves its set goals.
The Minister commended Moghalu for his giant strides within a short period of time in the agency.
He expressed delight about the facilities, saying Inland waterways have remained alternative means of transporting economic goods and persons and key to the development of any country.
Part of this speech reads, “Talking seriously MD, i am happy I came here today honestly, if I hadn’t come here today i would not have known the strides that have been achieved under your tenure, without a shadow of doubt I think you have made the greatest impact of all the Managing Directors that have Served the Authority. Yes, unfortunately quiet a number of them did not stay long enough to make a lot of Impact, i know a couple, whom i respect very highly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation was here for one year, Dr. Mamora was here just for one year, but they did what they could do to uplift the Authority, but your tenure, truly has moved these Authority from maybe level 5 to level 9, I want to assure you that for the time i will be Minister of Transportation, i will give you all the Support you require.
“Now Inland waterways as alternative means of transportation of moving economic goods and persons is key to the development of any country, especially when that country is endowed with water, Nigeria is so blessed in the sense that you can assess 28 states of these country by water, so you can imagine if we were able to develop these waterways, how logistics cost will come down, how goods we export out of Nigeria will be very very competitive to other commodities across the world”.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) , Dr. George Moghalu, has said that the vision of the authority is to make Nigeria the leader in inland waterways transportation, development and management in Africa.
Moghalu said part of this was to ensure the development of infrastructural facilities for a national inland waterways network that will connect the creeks and the rivers with the economic centres using the river ports as vocal points for intermodal exchange.
He told the Transport Minister, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo during a visit to the Port Harcourt office of the authority that the huge opportunities in the nation’s inland waterways “can only be maximized if concerted efforts are geared towards the development of infrastructure and proper funding to make waterways attractive and competitive to players.”
Moghalu spoke recently on the occasion of the inauguration of 32-seater ferry boat and three patrol boats acquired by the authority for operations in the Eastern zone.
He disclosed that part of the measures was the licensing of several companies for the transportation of cargo across the waterways in Nigeria.
Some of the companies will be operating from Lagos and Onne ports to the hinterlands and vice versa, according to him.
He told the Minister, “To achieve more of these, the authority is poised to continuously ensure the development of indigenous manpower as well as providing navigational aids, river training works, wreck surveys and removal, establishment of river gauges, construction of jetties, capital and maintenance dredging, establishment of search and rescue stations, rivercraft certification and training of boat drivers and crew, as well as continuous safety sensitization campaigns.
“As we speak, the sixth batch of training and certification of boat skippers by the authority is ongoing in Lagos. Even expatriates are participating in this training and certification exercise by the authority”.
Sambo had during the visit assured that the Ministry of Transport will support the authority to ensure that it achieves its set goals.
The Minister commended Moghalu for his giant strides within a short period of time in the agency.
He expressed delight about the facilities, saying Inland waterways have remained alternative means of transporting economic goods and persons and key to the development of any country.
Part of this speech reads, “Talking seriously MD, i am happy I came here today honestly, if I hadn’t come here today i would not have known the strides that have been achieved under your tenure, without a shadow of doubt I think you have made the greatest impact of all the Managing Directors that have Served the Authority. Yes, unfortunately quiet a number of them did not stay long enough to make a lot of Impact, i know a couple, whom i respect very highly, Secretary to the Government of the Federation was here for one year, Dr. Mamora was here just for one year, but they did what they could do to uplift the Authority, but your tenure, truly has moved these Authority from maybe level 5 to level 9, I want to assure you that for the time i will be Minister of Transportation, i will give you all the Support you require.
“Now Inland waterways as alternative means of transportation of moving economic goods and persons is key to the development of any country, especially when that country is endowed with water, Nigeria is so blessed in the sense that you can assess 28 states of these country by water, so you can imagine if we were able to develop these waterways, how logistics cost will come down, how goods we export out of Nigeria will be very very competitive to other commodities across the world”.
FOLLOW US
About Post Author
