FG to build 4 new river ports on PPP basis

Determined to ensure that imports are shipped to the hinterlands, the Federal Government is perfecting arrangement to build four new river ports and ensure the viability of the already-built Onitsha river port.

The four new river ports include Baro, Oguta and Lokoja, which have attained 90 percent, 73 percent and 50 percent completion, respectively, as well as Makurdi which the procurement process for its construction is currently at the final stage.

Idris Umar, minister of transport, who disclosed this at a forum in Lagos last week, also said the government was processing the contract for the dredging of River Benue to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval in order to sustain the dredged Lower River Niger channel.

This, he said, would further guarantee the sustainability of the Lower River Niger channel and expand the nation’s inland waterways for more businesses.

“A number of river ports are being developed with the port at Onitsha completed and commissioned. Upon completion, all the river ports will be concessioned to the private sector. The processes for the concessioning of Onitsha port are in progress and the government has appointed a transaction adviser to midwife the process that will lead to inviting expression of interest from investors,” said the minister.

To achieve this, he noted that the Federal Ministry of Transport and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) held a stakeholders conference with the theme ‘Putting Onitsha River Port into Economic Use before Concessioning’ in order to produce a robust roadmap on how to maximise the benefit of the port for the entire region.

“Arising from the conference, the ministry will constitute a project delivery and an inter-ministerial steering committee to ensure early and optimal utilisation of the port,” he added.