*Says NIWA needs adequate resources for capital dredging

*Pledges Onitsha Port will start hosting bigger cargoes soon

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The federal government has expressed its readiness to prevent flooding across the country as was recorded in 2022.
Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways (NIWA), George Moghalu, gave this assurance on Thursday while speaking with newsmen shortly after paying a private visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

He assured that NIWA was working hard to prevent a repeat of the calamitous flooding that ravaged the country last year.
Moghalu, who said the agency was working hard to ensure that the nation’s waterways were navigable all year round, acknowledged that there were challenges.
According to him: “So what we started doing proactively was first of all to start aspects of sensitisation, getting people to understand because we have a department in our office that monitors flood flow, looking at the floodplain and gives us a report on a monthly basis or bi-weekly basis, to my office and then the department that is responsible will now develop the data, which we’ll now use to sensitise the people, keep them informed of the possible flood-prone areas so that people will have to leave those locations.

“While at the same time also, like you may be aware, we have 23 area offices across the country. So what we are doing, in terms of opening of blocked channels, is using the area offices across the country, identifying those areas where we have blocked channels and then within the limits of our own resources and capabilities, we start opening them up so that they have free flow of water.”

He added further that the agency has since commenced the clearance of blocked water channels hyacinth and wrecks within the limit of its resources.
Speaking on the removal of wrecks along the waterways, Moghalu said, “wrecks, even floating debris are all being removed at various locations across the entire country. As we identify them, we do the basic survey and once we identify them, we set the process in motion to remove them.

“We’re doing some now as we keep identifying them, and you know these things like aqua hyacinth, like wrecks, like floating debris, are not fixed items that you will say ‘I will remove now and it won’t be there again’. You can remove a wreck tomorrow and by next tomorrow, another wreck will come.
“What are these wrecks? Broken down vessels that are condemned, logs and what have you. So, as we identify them, using survey, identify the coordinates, the next thing we do is to set in motion the process of removing them.

“As we speak, procurement processes have been concluded and some are being removed while as we identify, we set in motion the process of removing. We see them as a challenge and we are attacking them.”
Commenting on enhancing functionality of some additional inland waterway facilities in the country, Moghalu said the Onitsha River Port in Anambra State would soon be hosting big cargoes.

According to him, discussions were ongoing for the concession of Baro port and as well as the Oguta and Lokoja ports that are still under construction in order to reduce pressure from the government.
His words: “For Onitsha river port, we have successfully concessioned and handed over to universal Elysium, it is a company that is partnering with Port of Antwerp for the next 30 years.

“Now, because of limited resources and to reduce pressure on government, we opened up discussion with other interested organisations, unsolicited proposals have come for the concessioning of Baro, for the concessioning of Oguta and Lokoja though still under construction.
“So, we are discussing with them. The advantage here is that it will reduce pressure from government, these people own this port, complete the port, put the port to use and pay royalty to government. So, it has a lot of advantage. And we’re working conscientiously on that.

“Before I came to office, Oguta River Port was not on the budget for quite a while, but we eventually brought it back to the budget.
“As we speak, we have finished fencing of the Oguta river port. And we’re doing little by little, depending on resources available to put in place some basic infrastructure that is required for a port to operate.

“Same is applicable to Lokoja. So we’re taking it from two perspectives. Completing the building by government and concession or concession it so that the new concessionaire can complete the ports and put it to effective use”, he said.

Asked when big ships are expected to berth on Onitsha port, the NIWA boss said, “Very soon. “What I did before the concession was that I was able to do a test run, move cargo between Onne and Onitsha and now we are concluding movement of cargo from Lagos to Onitsha and that will be a clincher as far as I’m concerned.”