NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY Paper Presented by Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma, CON Managing Director/CEO National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) As a brief to the ABALSS international Workshop on Financing Infrastructural Development of the Maritime Services, Trade Logistics, Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Management. HOUSTON TEXAS. 8 th November, 2013

Nigeria’s natural endowment in inland waterways is about 10,000 kilometers of which if developed through dredging and provision of auxiliary facilities will provide all –year round navigation for transportation of bulk cargo and passengers.

In order to facilitate efficient and economic use of Nigerian waterways to attain desired economic prosperity, This natural water wealth comprise of rivers, creeks, lagoons, lakes and intra- coastal waters.. The main waterways are the Rivers Niger and River Benue.

the Federal Government established National inland waterways Authority (NIWA) through an Act of the National Assembly CAP47 LFN (Decree N0. 13 of 1997) with a clear mandate to manage Nigeria’s vast inland waterways resources. NIWA Corporate building, HQts, Lokoja.

The Act vests in NIWA the power to exclusively manage regulate and control activities and operations on Nigeria’s inland waterways. This power is exercised on Nigeria’s over 3000 kilometers of navigable waterways from the Nigeria/ Niger and Nigeria/ Cameroon boarders to the Atlantic Ocean including the nation’s portion of the Lake Chad, creeks and lagoons.

Nigeria is blessed with a river configuration very suitable for North- South movement of people and cargo. Despite its great potentials and opportunities it provides for the economic development, waterways resources are grossly underutilized and undeveloped. In order to elicit efficient, prudent and profitable utilization of the Nigerian inland waterways transport system,

the Federal Government is poised to transforming inland waterways infrastructure facilities in line with government shared vision and initiative towards a modern competitive multi-modal inland water transport system (IWT) with best practices and service consistent with current global standards.

According to Chief Ernest Shonekan, ‘’Infrastructure is the biggest challenge to the growing Nigerian economy. Vision 20:2020 is not possible without a significant up-scaling of Nigeria’s infrastructure “.Decaying infrastructure is one of the deficiencies in Nigerian National Economic Development Strategy (NEEDS)

Inland waterways huge infrastructural deficit has thrown up opportunities for investment in virtually all physical infrastructures and recourses extraction in the sector. An improvement in the institutional structure and features of inland waters system and its associated public utilities are essential to attain economic growth.

Infrastructural Intervention Requirements in Inland Waters includes; Dredging to remove silt and other impediments; River ports and jetties construction; Installation and maintenance of navigational aids, such as Gauges and Buoys etc. River training works including construction of cross dams, dykes, etc to ensure the achievement of highest level of efficiency and seamless operations; Improvement of port –linked flow –in landward connection to the Port ; River bank protection; Maintenance of dredged channels, Installation of maritime communication and data gathering and processing devices Classification of Waterways/design of suitable river craft for it. Adoption of uniform inland waterways code.

Through “ infrastructural development “, the adequacy of inland waterways infrastructure helps determine Nigeria success and failure in diversifying its production, expanding trade ( domestic and foreign) with its growing population, reducing poverty, or improving economic condition of its citizenry. Inland water transport (IWT) is one of seven (7) major infrastructural factors of the Transformation Agenda. Other factors include energy, agriculture, communication, finances, education and health.

OPPORTUNITIES OF DEVELOPING THE INLAND WATERWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE Developed inland waterways resources will open up windows of economic opportunities that will attract Public Private Partnership in the sector. These investments that could be harnessed include but not limited to the following: Provision job opportunities: The development of inland waterways infrastructure in Nigeria will create job opportunities not only for maritime personnel but the entire populace, thereby reducing the unemployment rate in the country and promoting economic growth.

Integrating rural communities, Dockyard services/management; Cargo barges and work boats construction; Tanker barges construction for fuel transportation and storage Passenger and Bulk cargo ferry services; Tank farms; Tourism and hospitality service delivery; Hydro power generation; Oil and gas exploration and supply services; Poverty alleviation; Establishment of private ports and jetties; Production industries; Concessioning of inland river ports/ jetties Pipeline network laying etc. All these are windows of opportunities for investment in inland water sub sector of the economy.

It is important we understand that most parts of the rivers Niger and Benue from the confluence of both rivers at Lokoja, northwards are navigable only during the rainy seasons. This is not unconnected to the sharp gradient of the two rivers which make them drain very fast into the ocean. Consequently, they become un- navigable during the dry season. BENEFITS OF DREDGING TO NORTHERN STATES

However, dredging of Lower River Niger and the proposed dredging of Lower River Benue and construction of ports at Baro, Lokoja and Makurdi are deliberate strategic plans to open the northern states to new vista of investments opportunities on inland waterways transportation that will be beneficial to northern Nigeria. HON. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT SENATOR IDRIS UMAR INSPECTING FACILITIES AT OGUTA RIVER PORT SITE, RECENTLY CONSTRUCTION OF BARO RIVER PORT IN PROGRESS (ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK) CONSTRUCTION OF OGUTA RIVER PORT IN PROGRESS (ADMINISTRATIVE BLOCK)

The following are among others, the benefits of dredging lower rivers Niger and Benue to northern Nigeria:  Open new frontiers of investment in ports and jetties developments and management;  Provide avenue of employment opportunities in port management and administration and provision of auxiliary services;  Avenue for acquisition of professional and technical skills in boat and ferry services and maintenance;  Tank farm operations and management;  Development and management of cruise boat operation and cargo transportation;  Provision of facilities for ware housing;

CHALLENGES: Federal Government of Nigeria is playing a vital role in the development and provision of basic infrastructures for Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) during and after the colonial rule. However, the decline in the patronage that led to the under- utilization of the waterways transport cannot be attributed to the issues of siltation, deckling cargo from the north (agricultural produce) and security also.

The challenges include, but are not limited to the following :  Funding;  Review of existing Laws to provide Legal framework for private sector investments;  Private patronage is very low in acquisition of modern vessels;  Awareness of the vast potential and opportunities in the waterways sub- sector is very low by the general public;  Community demands for corporate social responsibility (CSR);  Bank Erosion;  Dynamic nature of the principal rivers Niger and Benue;  Cargo generation;  Political instability;  Economic instability;

CONCLUSION: The importance of dredging and maintenance of Inland Waterways resources in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized cognizant of the importance of efficient transport infrastructure facilities in catalyzing economic development. In this regard, the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to providing the required infrastructure and enabling environment that is safe, environmentally friendly and cost effective through Dredging, Construction of Ports/ Jetties, strengthening security in the waterways. The vision is to provide water channels that supplement and compliment other modes in order to achieve seamless intermodalsm in the Nigeria transport network.

REFERENCES: Arc. Ahmed Aminu Yar’Adua, mni : Progress Report on Dredging of Lower River Niger – Presentation To Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) Engr. Mansur Ahmed, FNSE : The International Forum On Harnessing The Gains Of The Lower River Niger –At Dolly Hill Hotel, Onitsha 2011 Chief Chris E. Orode FCA :Paper on investment opportunities and critical conditions for a sustainable inland waterways transport system in Nigeria,2011. Prof. Bamidele Badejo: Dialogue on Power, Potential and Prospects of the Inland Waterways, 2005 Oni, S. I. and Okanlawon, K. R. (undated),Nigeria’s Transport Infrastructural Development: An Integral Part of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) internet link.