- Says 65% Of Shipped Containers Go To South-East, Says NIWA MD
The Nigerian government and South Africa are fine-tuning plans to deploy the latest technology in monitoring our waterways.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. George Moghalu, disclosed this at the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Moghalu said if the deal sails through the Authority can monitor the movement of vessels anywhere in the waterways with the technology being done in South Africa.
He said the South African firm whose name he did not reveal, exchanged visits with NIWA and the Authority informed them of the challenges faced in their effort to provide security in Nigeria’s waterways.
According to the NIWA boss, the company affirmed that they could help because of the type of technology available, which is currently being deployed in South Africa.
Moghalu said: “We visited them and they visited us and we now presented our challenge because we want to be in a position to monitor all our waterways and they have the technology.”
“There is a technology they are going to deploy so that I will be in the control room in Lokoja and be able to monitor all the vessels that operate in our waterways,” he said.
He revealed that despite talks of insecurity, a survey has commenced on Lake Chad to open it up as an inland water transportation hub to access other African countries.
“The fact that the survey is ongoing is an indication that insecurity prevailing in the region has been sufficiently addressed,” he said.
He said NIWA has been working in collaboration with the Nigeria Navy for the project.
National Inland Waterways Authority’s boss revealed that over 65 percent of cargo coming into Nigeria through the Lagos port ends up in Onitsha and Aba in the Southeast.