NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY Paper Presented by Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma, CON Managing...

NIGERIA INLAND WATERWAYS INFASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: OPPORTUNITES & CHALLENGESNIGERIA INLAND WATERWAYS INFASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: OPPORTUNITES & CHALLENGES

NIGERIA INLAND WATERWAYS INFASRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT:

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES

NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY

Paper Presented byHajia Inna Maryam

Ciroma, CON

Managing Director/CEONational Inland

Waterways Authority (NIWA)

As a brief to the ABALSS international Workshop on Financing Infrastructural

Development of the Maritime Services, Trade Logistics, Oil & Gas

Exploration and Production Management.

HOUSTON TEXAS.8th November, 2013

NIGERIA INLAND WATERWAYS INFASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: OPPORTUNITES & CHALLENGES

Nigeria’s natural

endowment in inland

waterways is about 10,000

kilometers of which if

developed through

dredging and provision of

auxiliary facilities will

provide all –year round

navigation for

transportation of bulk cargo

and passengers.


In order to facilitate

efficient and economic

use of Nigerian

waterways to attain

desired economic

prosperity,

This natural water

wealth comprise of

rivers, creeks, lagoons,

lakes and intra- coastal

waters.. The main

waterways are the

Rivers Niger and River

Benue.


the Federal Government

established National

inland waterways

Authority (NIWA)

through an Act of the

National Assembly

CAP47 LFN (Decree N0.

13 of 1997) with a clear

mandate to manage

Nigeria’s vast inland

waterways resources.

NIWA Corporate building, HQts, Lokoja.


The Act vests in NIWA the power to exclusively manage regulate and control activities and operations on Nigeria’s inland waterways. This power is exercised on Nigeria’s over 3000 kilometers of navigable waterways from the Nigeria/ Niger and Nigeria/ Cameroon boarders to the Atlantic Ocean including the nation’s portion of the Lake Chad, creeks and lagoons.

The two major Rivers in Nigeria


Nigeria is blessed with a river configuration very suitable for North- South movement of people and cargo. Despite its great potentials and opportunities it provides for the economic development, waterways resources are grossly underutilized and undeveloped. In order to elicit efficient, prudent and profitable utilization of the Nigerian inland waterways transport system,


the Federal Government is

poised to transforming

inland waterways

infrastructure facilities in

line with government shared

vision and initiative towards

a modern competitive multi-

modal inland water

transport system (IWT) with

best practices and service

consistent with current

global standards.


According to Chief Ernest Shonekan, ‘’Infrastructure is the biggest challenge to the growing Nigerian economy. Vision 20:2020 is not possible without a significant up-scaling of Nigeria’s infrastructure “.Decaying infrastructure is one of the deficiencies in Nigerian National Economic Development Strategy (NEEDS)


Inland waterways huge infrastructural deficit has thrown up opportunities for investment in virtually all physical infrastructures and recourses extraction in the sector. An improvement in the institutional structure and features of inland waters system and its associated public utilities are essential to attain economic growth.


Infrastructural Intervention Requirements in Inland Waters includes;• Dredging to remove silt and other

impediments; • River ports and jetties construction;• Installation and maintenance of

navigational aids, such as Gauges and Buoys etc.

• River training works including construction of cross dams, dykes, etc to ensure the achievement of highest level of efficiency and seamless operations;

• Improvement of port –linked flow –in landward connection to the Port ;

• River bank protection;• Maintenance of dredged channels,• Installation of maritime communication

and data gathering and processing devices

• Classification of Waterways/design of suitable river craft for it.

• Adoption of uniform inland waterways code.


Through “ infrastructural development “, the adequacy of inland waterways infrastructure helps determine Nigeria success and failure in diversifying its production, expanding trade ( domestic and foreign) with its growing population, reducing poverty , or improving economic condition of its citizenry . Inland water transport (IWT) is one of seven (7) major infrastructural factors of the Transformation Agenda. Other factors include energy, agriculture, communication, finances, education and health.


OPPORTUNITIES OF DEVELOPING THE INLAND WATERWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE

Developed inland waterways resources will open up windows of economic opportunities that will attract Public Private Partnership in the sector. These investments that could be harnessed include but not limited to the following:

Provision job opportunities: The development of inland waterways infrastructure in Nigeria will create job opportunities not only for maritime personnel but the entire populace, thereby reducing the unemployment rate in the country and promoting economic growth.


Integrating rural communities,Dockyard services/management;Cargo barges and work boats construction; Tanker barges construction for fuel transportation and storage Passenger and Bulk cargo ferry services;Tank farms;Tourism and hospitality service delivery;Hydro power generation;Oil and gas exploration and supply services; Poverty alleviation;Establishment of private ports and jetties;Production industries;Concessioning of inland river ports/ jettiesPipeline network laying etc.

All these are windows of opportunities for investment in inland water sub sector of the economy.


It is important we understand

that most parts of the rivers Niger

and Benue from the confluence of

both rivers at Lokoja, northwards

are navigable only during the

rainy seasons.

This is not unconnected to the

sharp gradient of the two rivers

which make them drain very fast

into the ocean. Consequently, they

become un-navigable during the

dry season.

BENEFITS OF DREDGING TO NORTHERN STATES


However, dredging of Lower

River Niger and the proposed

dredging of Lower River Benue

and construction of ports at

Baro, Lokoja and Makurdi are

deliberate strategic plans to

open the northern states to

new vista of investments

opportunities on inland

waterways transportation that

will be beneficial to northern

Nigeria.HON. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT SENATOR IDRIS UMAR INSPECTING FACILITIES AT OGUTA RIVER PORT SITE, RECENTLY

CONSTRUCTION OF BARO RIVER PORT IN PROGRESS (ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK)

CONSTRUCTION OF OGUTA RIVER PORT IN PROGRESS (ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK)


The following are among others, the benefits of dredging lower rivers Niger and Benue to northern Nigeria:

Open new frontiers of investment in ports and jetties

developments and management; Provide avenue of employment

opportunities in port management and administration and provision of auxiliary services;

Avenue for acquisition of professional and technical skills in boat and ferry services and maintenance;

Tank farm operations and management;

Development and management of cruise boat operation

and cargo transportation; Provision of facilities for ware

housing;


CHALLENGES:

Federal Government of Nigeria is playing a vital role

in the development and provision of basic

infrastructures for Inland Waterways Transport

(IWT) during and after the colonial rule. However,

the decline in the patronage that led to the under-

utilization of the waterways transport cannot be

attributed to the issues of siltation, deckling cargo

from the north (agricultural produce) and security

also.


The challenges include, but are not limited to the following:

Funding;Review of existing Laws to provide Legal framework for private sector investments;Private patronage is very low in acquisition of modern vessels;Awareness of the vast potential and opportunities in the waterways sub- sector is very low by the general public;Community demands for corporate social responsibility (CSR);Bank Erosion;Dynamic nature of the principal rivers Niger and Benue;Cargo generation;Political instability;Economic instability;


CONCLUSION:

The importance of dredging and maintenance of Inland Waterways resources in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized cognizant of the importance of efficient transport infrastructure facilities in catalyzing economic development. In this regard, the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to providing the required infrastructure and enabling environment that is safe, environmentally friendly and cost effective through Dredging, Construction of Ports/ Jetties, strengthening security in the waterways. The vision is to provide water channels that supplement and compliment other modes in order to achieve seamless intermodalsm in the Nigeria transport network.


REFERENCES:

•Arc. Ahmed Aminu Yar’Adua, mni:Progress Report on Dredging of Lower River Niger – Presentation To Presidential ProjectsAssessment Committee (PPAC)

•Engr. Mansur Ahmed, FNSE: The International Forum On Harnessing The Gains Of The Lower River Niger –AtDolly Hill Hotel, Onitsha 2011

•Chief Chris E. Orode FCA: Paper on investment opportunities and critical conditions for a sustainable inland waterways transport system in Nigeria,2011.

•Prof. Bamidele Badejo: Dialogue on Power, Potential and Prospects of the Inland Waterways, 2005

•Oni, S. I. and Okanlawon, K. R. (undated), Nigeria’s Transport Infrastructural Development: An Integral Part of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) internet link.

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