Fresh indications have emerged that the dredging of the lower River Niger cost the government a whooping N36billion, while the sum of N13billion was also expended in constructing jetties and other ports.
These facts were presented yesterday by the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Hajiya Maryan Ciroma during a press briefing in Lagos to usher in the NIWA’s 2014 exhibition and conference.
Fresh indications have emerged that the dredging of the lower River Niger cost the government a whooping N36billion, while the sum of N13billion was also expended in constructing jetties and other ports.
These facts were presented yesterday by the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Hajiya Maryan Ciroma during a press briefing in Lagos to usher in the NIWA’s 2014 exhibition and conference.
Ciroma told journalist that NIWA is planning to hold a three days international conference tagged NIWA ICE 2014 in order to further open up the Nigerian waterways to local and foreign investors.
According to the NIWA boss, the lower river Niger dredging project covered a total of 500 hundred kilometers from Gwari to Baro area of the Niger.
In addition, Ciroma stated that the lower river Niger has also been dredged to 2.5 metres and that this will allow vessels and badges to navigate the water confidently at low tide
In order to eradicate water hyacinths which impedes safe navigation on the waters, she said that government has equally invested in five water hyacinths removal machines that costs a whooping N700million.
Ciroma who was speaking in preparation to host the world in the conference and exhibition said that all the investments made by government will be shown to the world and to also show the numerous prospects the waterways holds for all Nigerian importers and not only Lagos importers.
"This conference will also showcase the kind of boats that we want investors to bring in, this will de-congest our roads in Lagos and make people happier"
"We know that it is very critical for us to encourage people to bring in modern, comfortable vessels in order to move people around, I have seen it in Europe and I think in Nigeria we can do it"
According to NIWA, the conference and exhibition which has its theme as "Modernizing Inland Water Infrastructure and Vessels for Safe and Sustainable Inland Water Transportation in Nigeria" is expected to come up between August 12th to 14th year 2014.
Ciroma said that, "Nigeria cannot afford to be lagging behind in modernization, we need to bring our developments to international standard, so it is important for us to have this exhibition in order to know what is obtained internationally so that we too can bring such development to our country"
According to her, the conference also seeks to unveil government programs, plan and policies, networking and organizational relationships for the different categories in the inland waterways sector.
She added that the programme is expected to attract river transport companies, oil and gas prospecting companies, dredging companies as well as river craft operators, among others.
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