The nation’s inland waterways system is underfunded and as a result the nation is being denied of the potentials offered.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Senator Adeleke Mamora, has said this in a statement, signed on Monday, a copy of which was sent to Shipping Position Daily, also added that waterways is the mainstay for industrialization and economic prowess.
Mamora, also described the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the agency and the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and Sealink Promotional Company as a major milestone in the development of the maritime infrastructure.
“Today is a major milestone in the development of the maritime infrastructure that is necessary to ensure full integration of the potentials of Nigeria’s resources in our economy.
For too long our economy has been dependent on oil and its derivatives. Efforts to diversify are on-going and today’s event is an additional one in that regard. Our agricultural produce have been mostly landlocked, whilst the vast mineral resources have remained majorly untapped until lately when attention is being paid to Solid Minerals”
The NIWA MD however added that efforts towards dredging of the nation’s waterways have been farfetched as the necessary infrastructures have been neglected.
“It will be recalled that in the past, efforts were made to dredge our Inland Waterways, such efforts had not been far reaching enough as other necessary infrastructure that will open up the vast Inland Waterways have been neglected”
“Our inland waterways system is underfunded hence we are denied the benefits of the potentials offered unlike a number of developed nations that have utilized their Inland Waterways as the mainstay for their industrialization and economic prowess”
Explaining further he said the event is a major step in the journey towards reversing the dependence of the nation’s economy on oil.
“The event of today marks another major step in the journey to reverse the dependence of our economy on oil and to open up the vast untapped opportunities that the Inland Waterways can offer.
The realisation of Inland Waterway Transportation will not only ensure safer roads but will ensure that the huge sums of money spent on road maintenance can be diverted to other areas of needs including health, education and job creation”
“NIWA’s endorsement of this Memorandum of understanding with Nexim Bank and Sealink Consortium is an eloquent testimony of the viability of the Inland Waterway transportation network in Nigeria”
According to him, “We will work with these 2 great partners to ensure that the full potential of our economy is realised by harnessing the untapped Waterway resources that will add to our GDP in no small measure. I would like to thank the management of Sealink and Nexim Bank for their vision and confidence in the Inland Waterway Transportation. I look forward with excitement to the success of this noble initiative” he concluded.
