The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo has unveiled the Navigational Charts of the Lower River Niger from Lokoja in Kogi State to Burutu in Delta State, at the NAF Conference Center, Abuja.
The Navigational charts cover 594km (321 Nautical Miles) with a total survey area of 1719.8 Square Kilometers.
The minister was in company of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMoT), Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral A.Z Gambo, and the Managing Directors of Nexim and Afrexim Banks.
Others are heads of parastatals under the FMoT, Senior officers, both serving and retired of the Nigerian Navy and other well-meaning Nigerians.
Sambo stated that the project is in tandem with the statutory responsibilities and objectives of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
According to him, the project would boost the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government towards the development and operation of an efficient and safe Inland Waterways Transportation Network.
“A well-developed and efficient Inland Water Transportation is necessary for an integrated and functional multi–modal transportation system, whose major pillar is dependent upon accurate and timely hydrographic surveys/charts.
“The objective of this Project is to provide direct maritime linkages within Nigeria and between African countries, thereby catalyzing Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), creating highly needed jobs, and boosting internal as well as intra – African trade”, he said.
The minister explained that the US economy today is supported by revenues of over $70 billion from 600 million tons of cargo transported through its inland waterways, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, building and growing agro-industrial communities along the waterway channels and thus spreading economic prosperity throughout the length and breadth of its waterways network.
“The USA’s waterways and multi-modal transportation network provide a competitive edge in global markets. No wonder, its corn and soybean farmers are the most efficient in the world”,he added.
Sambo said that Nigeria is blessed with an 800km coastline and over 10,000km of inland waterways that potentially confers it with such maritime power that in itself alone, can transform this country into a great and prosperous place on earth!
He also affirmed the Federal Ministry of Transportation’s commitment to the successful attainment of the overall objective of the Navigational Charts Project in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for the holistic and sustainable development of the maritime sector and the inland waterways in particular.
He commended the laudable initiative of Sealink Promotional Company Limited with funding from the NEXIM and African Export–Import Bank, the Nigerian Navy and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), who jointly conducted the survey exercise, an effort never before undertaken in the history of the country.
“On this note, I want to specifically express my gratitude and that of the Ministry to the Managing Directors of NEXIM Bank and AfriExim Bank for providing the necessary funds for the execution of this Project, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority for their collaborative efforts that ensured the successful execution of this Project, and I look forward to more of this effort to extend the Hydrographic Survey of Inland Waterways nationwide.
“While congratulating all critical stakeholders on this auspicious unveiling, please rest assured of our continued commitment and support”, he said.
