Few months after officially describing the dredging of lower river Niger as complete, the management of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has awarded six different contracts; worth N9 billion for infrastructural facilities for the development of river ports along the strategic river.
The fresh contracts come on the heels of allegations of low utilisation of the lower Niger River after a N36 billion dredging project, which has reportedly not yielded the results that were anticipated.
Few months after officially describing the dredging of lower river Niger as complete, the management of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has awarded six different contracts; worth N9 billion for infrastructural facilities for the development of river ports along the strategic river.
The fresh contracts come on the heels of allegations of low utilisation of the lower Niger River after a N36 billion dredging project, which has reportedly not yielded the results that were anticipated.
Our correspondent confirmed that a contract signing ceremony held last week at NIWA’s head office at Lokoja in Kogi state.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that the new contract cover the construction of a new river port in Lokoja, to Messrs Inter Bau Construction for N4.1 billion with a completion period of 57 weeks.
The dredging of channel along Orashi River from Oguta Lake in Imo State to Degema in Rivers State was awarded at a sum of N2.03 billion to Messrs Simidia S. & I. International Company Ltd, to be completed within 12 months.
Similarly, another contract was awarded for the construction of Okrika jetty to Messrs Johnmostainless Nigeria Limited at contract sum of N438 million, to be completed within nine months.
Messrs Evomec Global Services won the contract for the shore protection, dredging and reclamation works at selected sites along River Niger at a contract sum of N2.1 billion with a completion period of eight months, while Messrs C.O.T. Engineering Ltd was awarded the contract for the construction of Degema jetty in Rivers State for a period of nine month at a contract sum of N491 million and the Contract for the procurement and installation of soft security apparatus, totaling N139.8 million was awarded to Messrs Avsatel Communications Ltd.
The lower River Niger was dredged from Baro in Niger State to Warri in Delta State so as to encourage transportation of goods and persons using alternatives other than roads, but a source at the ministry of transport told our correspondent last week that this has not happened.
Our source disclosed that most of the importers in the eastern part of the country who are supposed to take advantage of the dredging have sunned it.
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