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Steve Agbota, [email protected]
Reactivation of abandoned river ports across the country, especially those littering the South South region, may serve as gateway to economic growth, alleviate poverty and reduce unemployment in the country.
So far all four river ports in Onitsha, Oguta, Baro and Lokoja have remained in a state of disrepair, obsolete and in very poor conditions over the years thus putting them their use in a great challenge.
Ironically, the river ports despite their contributions to the economy and in decongesting the nation’s premier seaports and reduce truck movement on Nigerian roads have remained abandoned. While Lokoja and Oguta were left to rot away, Onitsha and Baro that have been completed were not yet to be put into use years after.
Onitsha river port was built by ex-President Shehu Shagari and rehabilitated by President Goodluck Jonathan with N4.6billon in 2012, while the Baro River port in Niger State, was awarded in 2011/2012 at a cost of N2,563,499,248.00 by the Federal Executive Council to a Chinese company, Messrs CGGC Global Project.
However, despite government interventions and investment Baro port, has yet to be come operational almost a year after President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned it due to poor access roads leading to the port.
On its own, Onitsha port remained inactive due to the Federal Government inability to resolve litigations surrounding the concessioning of the river port.
But in order to put these river ports into economic use, the recent tour of the river ports and other facilities across the country by Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu, appears to have re-awakened stakeholders’ hope in government’s ability to revive the abandoned river ports.
Citing some of the challenges plaguing the rivers ports, NIWA boss, attributed them to litigation and bad access roads.
Daily Sun learnt that Baro river port, which is considered as the flagship port of the Northern part of the country has the access road leading to it from the Gegu express way in Kogi State unmotorable and needed urgent rehabilitation by the Federal Government for the project to be of any economic value.
According to a staff at NIWA, the road leading to the river port is presently in a state of disrepair, and that makes the port very difficult to function.
However, worried by the challenges surrounding the river ports, newly appointed Managing Director of the NIWA, Moghalu vowed to ensure viability of all the river ports across the country.
This was after he earlier promised on assumption of office to continue with all ongoing viable and justifiable projects of the Authority as long as they conform to due process and the Act establishing the Agency.
Moghalu who had visited the Onitsha, Baro river ports and other facilities of the Authority however promised to turn around the fortune for the greater use of the country’s economy.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the terminal he further assured stakeholders that he will revive Onitsha Port Terminal in line with the Authority’s plan to make more waterways navigable to facilitate marine transportation across the country.
The NIWA boss further hinted that reviving marine transportation would facilitate movement of people and goods across the country while lamenting the poor state of the Onitsha port terminal which was constructed in 2012 and inaugurated 2013.
He expressed government’s commitment towards reviving the port terminal, adding that making the port functional would reduce pressure on other port terminals in the country.
He said, “If you look at the investment and the time it has taken, there is need for us to make it work and it is a primary concern for me. I will like to be remembered for making Onitsha River port work, because it has the capacity to open up Onitsha business environment more and generate revenue to the people and government.”
Moghalu stressed that a critical national asset of the Port must be made functional for immediate environment and national economic gains.
He promised to make the Onitsha river port functional and engage the Federal Ministry of works and the Niger state government on how to ensure that the road leading to Baro river port are constructed for activities to commence at the abandoned project.
Also, during his visit to the Baro facility, the NIWA chief executive promised to ensure that the road linking the port is reconstructed for operation to begin at the port.
Moghalu, said he would engage the state and Federal Government for the rehabilitation of the road leading to Baro port as he said the port would enhance intermodal transportation connectivity in the country, and create huge employment opportunities for Nigerians, in addition to decongesting other busy ports.
During the visit to Baro, the NIWA boss said he will partner the private sector to ensure the viability of the River Port, stressing it was the importance he attached to the project that necessitated the visit the port in his familiarisation tour.
He further stated that he was ready to partner with all government agencies, local and state governments as wells as the private sector to make sure that Baro port becomes functional and create wealth for Baro community and Niger state people.
His words, “I promise to discuss the issue of the road with both Niger State and the Federal Government and I assure you that the locals will be given priority when the port becomes fully operational.”
He said the railway lines at Baro will be brought back to life as he promised to visit the port again due to its importance to the country.
He noted that since the Waterways hold a great potential, all hands must be on deck to develop and improve our waterways. Moghalu further promised to work assiduously to ensure the water ways connecting over 28 states of the federation were constantly cleared to ensure expansion and easy passage.
Said he: “The federation of Nigeria with about 10,000 kilometers of Inland Waterways, 3,000 navigable kilometers all year round, cutting across 28 states of the federation NIWA has become a national responsibility and all the affected states should collaborate with us to enable us get the best for the nation’s potentially viable Inland Waterways.”
He also assured stakeholders during his visit to NIWA Marine base, Port Harcourt, that the Nigerian Navy and the management of NIWA will do a lot together to make nation’s waterways secure.
Muoghalu said, “We are trying to ensure that our water ways are yearly navigable. The issue of security is still there but we are collaborating with other security agencies to ensure the security of the waterways.
