Officials in Abuja, yesterday, disclosed that 65 per cent of commercial cargoes berthing at Nigerian ports end up in the South East of the country, particularly Onitsha, in Anambra State, and Aba, Abia State.
Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. George Moghalu, disclosed this while speaking at a ministerial briefing, anchored by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Moghalu revealed that Federal Government is working on an agreement to secure technology to aid monitoring, as well as secure the nation’s inland waterways from South Africa.
He further said that everything has been firmed up for the movement of cargo in Onitsha River Port, just as he explained that it is the owner of the cargo that will determine the movement.
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Moghalu, who gave updates on the agency’s activities, however, noted that the current road network infrastructure couldn’t withstand the volume of traffic required to move cargo from the South East to other parts of the country.
This, according to him, was the reason for recent efforts by NIWA to provide water inroads to the Northern part of the country.
He said that water transportation would help reduce weight of heavy-duty traffic on the roads, as well as generate revenue for the country.
He also lamented the menace of floating debris in vital waterways, adding that the authority spends fortunes yearly to rid the waterways of non-biodegradable wastes such as plastic and rubber.
He also said that work has since commenced at the Oguta River Port, which, according to him, was abandoned 13 years ago, adding that perimeter fence has been erected at the place with the port now segmented.
Speaking on acquisition of facilities to secure inland waterways in the country, Moghalu pointed out that with the technology, the authority could monitor the movement of vessels anywhere.
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