Philip Nwosu
As the world grapples with Coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Nigerian Navy has advocated the use of new technology in the field of hydrography to achieve maximum results in the effort to fight the dreaded disease and to also reduce the risk of transmission.
The President of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society, Rear Admiral Chukwuemeka Ebenezer Okafor, said the acquisition of new technologies prompted the theme for the 2020 World Hydrographic Day (WHD), which is; “Hydrography: -Enabling Autonomous Technologies.”
Okafor, who noted rapid evolution and advancement in the science of hydrography, disclosed that the International Centre for Electronic Charts had accepted and published Nigeria’s first Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) which would improve navigation within the country’s water ways.
The electronic version of Nigeria’s Second Indigenous Navigational Chart; which is tagged NG 4401, according to the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office, is set for release soon.
The Hydrographer of the Navy who made the revelation said the publication of the first electronic Navigational Chart by the International Centre for Electronic Charts is one of the achievement of the unit in the year 2020, adding that the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO)has ramped up its hydrographic capabilities with several first-of-its-kind products to support Nigeria’s Blue Economy project.
Admiral Okafor spoke during the 2020 World Hydrographic Day celebration saying that “at the last WHD Celebration, the NNHO published the first indigenous navigational chart ever produced by Nigeria; NG 2501 (Lagos Harbour Chart) with much fanfare.”
This feat, he said. completed Nigeria’s hydrographic capacity development as required by the International Hydrographic Office (IHO).
Admiral Okafor explained that, “as at today, the Office has published the second edition of the chart, incorporating recent navigational significant changes that have taken place within the channel.
“ The Office has also published the second indigenous navigational chart, NG 4401 (Ogunkobo to Tin Can Island) at a time when it was most needed, primarily because the water within the area had hitherto never been charted and had recently witnessed several marine accidents.
“This achievement drew several commendations from top military echelons, as well as the Federal Government and mariners who expressed delight to the usefulness of the chart to their voyages.”
While explaining that attention is increasingly shifting to the use of autonomous technologies such as Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) and flying drones to acquire high accuracy, high-resolution marine geospatial information to meet evolving hydrographic applications in today’s hydrographic practice, the Hydrographer of the Navy said the use of hydrography, primarily as a tool to ensure safety of navigation for marine transport; the increasing need for sustainable use of the ocean for economic growth has further expanded hydrographic applications to offshore wind farming, coastal zone management, as well as, offshore exploration and exploitation of mineral resources.
Accordingly, he said, most developed Hydrographic Offices are developing autonomous hydrographic capabilities of national and global Blue Economy programmes, with the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey (OCS), the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and French Hydrographic Office (SHOM), leading the charge.
In the light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, he revealed that NOAA’s OCS is deploying unmanned survey launches and survey vessels to work in the most treacherous weather and ocean conditions, with their survey crew members operating remotely.