NIWA confab seeks to grow Nigeria’s inland water transport

Stakeholders in the maritime sector will converge on Lagos to brainstorm on how to grow the prospects in inland water transportation in the country so as to make it a catalyst in driving sustainable economic growth.

Themed ‘Modernising Inland Water Infrastructure and Vessels for Safe and Sustainable Inland Water Transportation in Nigeria’, the conference will hold August 12-14, 2014, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. It will focus on making the nation the leader in inland water transportation development and management in Africa. It will also unveil government programmes and policies as well as organisational relationships in the inland waterways sector.

Speaking with journalists recently in Lagos, Inna Ciroma, managing director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), said the conference would also avail stakeholders of the platform to gain knowledge on the vast economic opportunities inherent on the Nigerian waterways if properly explored.  “There will be a three-day exhibition to showcase Nigeria’s potentials,” said Ciroma.

“The conference would brainstorm on ways to ensure that inland water infrastructure is modernised in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the most exciting places in the world to tour. And our aim is to make this happen by raising our vessels to standard, ensure sustainability, and effective transportation of people, goods and services from one location to the other,” she said.

On safety measures, the NIWA boss stated that the authority had put measures in place to ensure that lives of the people on transit were safeguarded. This, according to her, was why NIWA recently distributed lifejackets to Nigerians and also initiated a national sensitisation and awareness campaign on safety on Nigerian waters.