From Uche Usim, Abuja
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), the Federal Ministry of Transportation, and the Nigerian Navy have teamed up to boost water transport in Nigeria by charting the Lower River Niger.
Afreximbank provided a grant of $350,000 to unlock the potential of transportation on Nigeria’s inland waterways. Minister for Transportation, Mr Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, unveiled the Navigational Charts of the Lower River Niger with support from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha.
Sambo acknowledged the importance of water transportation as the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation with significant economic benefits, citing the example of the United States of America where 60% of agricultural produce is moved through inland waterways.
He commended the efforts of all the parties involved in the activity and pledged to progress the subsequent activities required to make the movement of goods on the Lower River Niger possible.
Mr Remigius Nwachukwu, Manager, Trade Finance, Anglophone West Africa, represented Afreximbank at the event and commended the leadership and vision of Prof Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank towards the realisation of the project, which falls within the ambit of the mandate of Afreximbank in promoting, facilitating, and financing intra- and extra-African trade.
Afreximbank noted that existing African infrastructure was designed to carry African commodities to global markets and not to facilitate intra-African trade. In this context, Afreximbank decided to support the development of the maritime sector, including inland waterways, to ensure efficient and cost-effective routes to facilitate intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
The launch of the navigational charts follows a Maritime Survey and Charting Project executed by the Sealink Consortium in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and Neximbank, financed through a grant from Afreximbank. The charts provide information on navigable and restricted areas of the river channel and serve as a springboard to attaining a fully developed navigable channel.
The Charting covered a distance of 456 km from Jamata, Lokoja to Burutu and has been approved by the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts, having met International Hydrographic Organisation’s standards.
Although some more work like dredging and removal of identified wrecks are still expected to be done on the channel, navigational activities can commence with the use of the Charts, which Mariners can obtain from the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts either in hard copy or electronic form.