Stakeholders have increased calls towards the fixing of eastern waterways and ports to decongest Lagos ports and recover revenue lost to the diversion of cargoes to neighbouring countries due to poor infrastructure.

They made the call at the 2023 yearly conference and awards of the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) held in Lagos.

Recall that senators and members of the House of Representatives had expressed regrets over the loss of over N1 trillion in revenue due to poor infrastructure in the maritime sector.

The lawmakers, during the 2024 budget defence by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, also queried the underutilisation of the N130 million released for rehabilitation, utilisation and patronage of eastern ports as well as the monitoring of navigational channels of Calabar River Port.

Oyetola had admitted that shippers divert vessels to neighbouring countries’ ports while stressing the need for adequate funding for the dredging of various ports across the country to enable them to take big vessels.

Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Munirudeen Oyebamiji, emphasised on the dredging of the waterways serving the eastern ports, which he said will reduce congestion at the Lagos ports.

He said the discovery of oil in the country caused the government to neglect the development of inland waterways, as the focus moved to coastal areas where they were doing oil businesses to the detriment of the inland waterways.

Speaking on ‘Developing Nigerian Waterways infrastructure for effective movement of goods and services’, Oyebamiji, who was represented by the General Manager of Business Development, Olumide Adetola, said the government has to focus on dredging the waterways in the eastern part of the country to enable businessmen directly berth goods at the seaports to relieve pressure from Lagos ports.

He listed the infrastructural intervention requirements for optimal benefits of Nigeria’s waterways to include, dredging to remove silt and other impediments, construction of River ports and jetties, installation and maintenance of navigational aids such as dams, dykes and groin to ensure the achievement of highest level of efficiency and seamless operations.

Others, he said, include improvement of port-linked flow in landward connection to the ports, river bank protection and maintenance of dredged channels, removal of wrecks and derelicts on the inland waterways that impede navigation as well as the removal of aquatic weeds including water hyacinths and other plants on the waterways.

Oyebamiji urged the government to adopt a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to complete the ports and waterways infrastructure.

“Like the Ogata River Port abandoned for over 20 years, if there is an investor that will be ready to complete it, then use it for several years, the government will be interested in allowing any investor to try what they can do on it.

“Apart from PPP, we are looking at aid and grants from international donors who will assist in the development of infrastructures. There are so many things we can do on the waterways but it is funding that will determine,” he stated.

The paramount ruler of Isiama kingdom of Isiala-Mbano LGA, Imo State, Dr Oliver Ohanweh, stressed that the solution to the issue of congestion of Lagos ports lies in the dredging of the Oguta-Orashi River.

He noted that the about 18 nautical miles distance of Urashi to the Atlantic Ocean cannot be compared to Lagos Port of 50 nautical miles and Port Harcourt’s 60 NM which were all dredged to make for navigation.

Ohanweh, who was represented by a Lagos-based lawyer, Emeka Iwueze, decried the suffering of many Nigerians which he said could be reduced when a sea or river port becomes operational in the southeast, while calling for the realisation of the Orashi- Oguta seaport dream. (The Guardian)

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