By Chesa Chesa
Over 65 percent of cargo coming into Nigeria through the Lagos ports are destined for the industrial cities in the Southeast, especially Onitsha and Aba, the The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) announced on Thursday.
Managing Director of NIWA, Dr. George Moghalu, disclosed this when he featured at the 52nd Session of the State House Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, at the State House, Abuja.
He also said that everything had been put in place for the movement of cargo through Onitsha River Port, although he acknowledged that it is the owner of the cargo that can eventually determine whether to use the port it not.
Moghalu, who was providing updates on the agency’s activities, however noted that the current road network infrastructure cannot withstand the volume of traffic required to move cargo from the Southeast to other parts of the country.
This, he said, necessitated recent efforts by NIWA to provide water inroads to the northern part of the country.
He said that water transportation would help to reduce the tear and wear on roads owing to the heavy duty traffic, and also generate revenue for the country.
Moghalu also lamented the menace of floating debris clogging vital waterways, saying that NIWA spends a fortune annually to rid the waterways of non-biodegradable wastes such as plastic and rubber.
He was however silent on the specific amount NIWA has spent in clearing the waterways.
He also said that work has commenced at the Oguta River Port in Imo State, which he said was abandoned for 13 years.
According to him, perimeter fence has been erected at the port, which has noe been segmented for optimal operations.
