The Acting Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, Mallam Danladi Ibrahim, on Monday said that the dredging of River Benue would commence next year.
This is even as he confirmed that the Authority would complete the ongoing construction of the Lokoja and Oguta River ports before the end of this year
According to him, the Lokoja Port is 75 per cent completed now while the Oguta Port is 70 per cent completed.
Giving these hints during a press conference in Lagos, Ibrahim said that the dredging of River Benue would boost commercial activities around the two river ports of Onitsha and Baro both of which will come on stream before this year ends
He explained that the agency was collaborating with countries in Europe and China on waterways development with a view to learning from their experiences and replicating the models in the nation’s waterways management.
The NIWA boss said: “We are looking at the Lokoja and Oguta ports to be completed in 2018. We have also completed one of our major ports in Baro. The two ports will be completed before the end of the year. As soon as the budget implementation starts, we will swing into action.”
Ibrahim also disclosed that plans were being put in place by the agency to enable it buy equipment in batches to start moving cargoes from Lagos ports to Onitsha and Baro, projecting that when the Onitsha, Lokoja and Baro River ports commence operation, they have the potential of creating over 2,000 jobs.
On the maintenance dredging from Ajaokuta to Onitsha, the waterways management expert said that the project would be done as soon as allocation in the 2018 budget is released, adding that the agency has commenced direct maintenance dredging of its channels.
Specifically, Ibarhim confirmed that the Baro to Idah project was recently completed and that arrangements were ongoing to improve the agency’s in-house maintenance dredging of the other existing channels.
He said: “We are getting additional dredgers to enhance our capacity for in-house maintenance dredging of the channels.”
