Dredging River Niger to spur development in Niger Delta

The perceived neglect of the region over the years in spite of being the nation’s primary source of wealth, has led to youth restiveness within the region.  Such restiveness has manifested in diverse and varied violent forms and has sometimes severely dislocated the nation’s economy. In recent times, militancy, kidnapping, and associated vices have become […]

The perceived neglect of the region over the years in spite of being the nation’s primary source of wealth, has led to youth restiveness within the region.  Such restiveness has manifested in diverse and varied violent forms and has sometimes severely dislocated the nation’s economy.

In recent times, militancy, kidnapping, and associated vices have become commonplace in the region. Mindful of the need to respond to the development needs of the region, which are indeed legion, the Federal government has put in place measures to bring about accelerated development in the area.

In this light, current efforts to dredge the River Niger could be better appreciated. Development experts believe that a basic key to a sustainable multi-sectoral economic growth entails the development of a multi-modal transport system.

The topography of the region thus underscores the imperative for a more expansive development of the region’s inland waterways. The dredging of the lower Niger River was conceptualised in the 1960s but no concrete efforts had since been made until now to actualise the dream. “The plan to dredge the lower Niger River started 43 years ago,” President Umaru Yar’adua said when he launched the dredging project on Sept. 11, 2009.

Records, however, indicate that initial attempts were made in 1958 and 1978 to dredge the river. In 1996, the then Federal Military Government approved a dredging project to cover a distance of 572 kilometres from Warri in Delta to Baro in Nigers State.

The project, which was expected to include the construction of three river ports in Baro, Idah and Lokoja, was eventually stagnated as it was plagued by a number of factors. For now, the execution of the revised project is segmented into five autonomous lots under a first phase.

Lot One stretches from Warri to the bifurcation of Nuns and Forcados rivers (154); Lot Two, from Bifurcation to Onitsha (116), and Lot Three, from Onitsha to Idah (118). Lot Four is from Idah to Jamata (108) while Lot Five is from Jamata to Baro (76).

Contracts for the lots were jointly awarded at a total sum of N36 billion.  The project, Yar’adua said, aptly demonstrated the unwavering commitment of the Federal Government to the socio-economic advancement of the country, especially the Niger Delta, in terms of sustainable inland water transportation and employment.  

The second phase of the project, which will involve the dredging of the upper River Niger and River Benue, is expected to commence once the first phase ends, according to Yar’adua. The current dredging will cover 572 kilometres across 152 communities in eight states — Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa. The project also includes the establishment of a Maritime Institute in Onitsha and the development of five river ports at Warri, Onitsha, Idah, Lokoja and Baro.

Gov. Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State is full of praises for the Federal government for embarking on the project. He expressed optimism that whenever the project is completed, navigation could take place on the Niger all-year round. He, however, canvassed the establishment of a river port at Ajaokuta to service the Ajaokuta steel complex.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, as well as Chief Tony Anenih, a former Minister of Works, all stressed the need for the Ministry of Transport to strictly supervise the project’s execution.

According to the immediate-past Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, the project will spur commercial activities along the waterway. “Commerce will experience boom, thereby generating employment opportunities, especially around the port areas when the project is completed,’’ Bio said.

Recent media reports that Acting President Goodluck Jonathan had cancelled the project and diverted its funds to shoreline land reclamation proved to be incorrect. By the account of Bio, “the project is at between 60 and 70 per cent completion level and it has not been suspended in any form. All contractors are on site.

“Payment to contractors is promptly done on the presentation of approved certificates,’’ Bio said, stressing that the project, when completed, would create distinct navigational channels, improve navigation and create an aquatic highway, which would engender more commercial activities in the region and the country as a whole.

“As you can note, the political will to make a success of the project is not in doubt,’’ he said. Mr Koinyan Sunday, the Chairman of “Concerned Communities in the Niger Delta Region’’, gave the assurance that the region’s communities were fully in support of the dredging project.

“Our concern has always been for the adverse environmental impacts. Dredging obviously aggravates the effects of lateral erosion,’’ he, however, said. Sunday decried the apparent poor response of the authorities to these concerns, noting that they were capable of breeding antagonism between government agencies and the communities.

“We are also appealing to the government to provide potable water for our communities since the dredging of the River Niger, no matter how it is done, will seriously affect the quality of the river water, during and after the project,’’ he said.

Many stakeholders, however, worry at the prospect of a timely completion of the project. However, Mr Bashiru Ahmad, Project Manager of Dredging and Marine Consultants, the firm handing the 76-km Lot Five of the project, said that about 60 per cent of the distance has been dredged.

He gave the assurance that the project would be completed by June. Also, Mr Xiao Kunlei, the Assistant Project Manager of China Gezhoub Group Corporation (CGGC), which is handling the Baro Port site, said that initial hiccups suffered by his firm have been overcome.

Besides, Martins Kershaw, the Project Manager of Van Cord, also gave the assurance that the 20-month completion period for his share of the project would be realised. Commenting on the project, Alhaji Ahmed Yar’Adua, Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) said that the project contractors were promptly being paid.

(NANFeatures)