Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr George Moghalu, has promised to make water transportation the best means of transportation, warning that Nigeria roads are not designed for heavy cargo.
Speaking when the executives of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, Moghalu said that Nigerian is so fortunate to have over 10,000 kilometers of waterways that transversed through 28 states to decongest the roads.
“The potentials of waterway are enormous. If for example, 200,000 or one million containers are going to the South-east, the simple implication is that the same number of trailers will be on our road. If it is 1,000 containers, 1,000 trailers will be on our road, if it is 1 million containers, 1 million trailers will be on our road.
“There is no way our road can be designed to carry such weight, bulk cargoes are moved by water or by rail.
Fortunately for us as a country, we have over 10,000 kilometers of waterways that transversed through 28 states. It is only that at the moment, we have just o er 3,000 kilometers that is all year round navigable.
“But ordinarily, we can reach 28 out of 36 states by water in this country. Which means if we make more solid investment in the waterways sector, it is going to impact positively on our national and economic life.
“My wish for the waterways, is that I want by the time I leave office that water transportation becomes the best means of transportation,” he said.
Speaking further, he noted: “When we came on board, we were underreported, most Nigerians didn’t know about NIWA and what we are supposed to do. Some even didn’t know we are an agency under ministry of Transportation. So we set out on that trajectory to see that we change that narrative. Let me commend the media for the support they have given so far.”
On the request by the NIPR to train his staff, Moghalu said; “I agree with you that there is need for partnership and collaboration. I was very impressed when the CP was introduced that he’s the head of Police Institute training, I was very happy because it is about sharing knowledge, it is about getting the right people to the the right job.
“Because one thing that I keep saying is that you buy cheap, you buy twice. If your target is that this thing you want it cheap, very soon you have to replace it. But if you are looking for quality, you go for it and it will justify the investment you’ve made on it.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to us as Nigerians using the platform of NIPR to bring the message of unity in this country, to market it, because if we are not United we can’t achieve our desired objective. Government is doing it’s best, what we need to do is to encourage them. I don’t quarrel with criticism, but let it be constructive. If you think I’m not doing this right, what do I do, how do I do it to achieve the same objective, if your intentions are honest, if not just to being me down,” he said.