Dr. George Moghalu, Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that the authority has commenced enforcement of Shipyard operations and boat building regulations to curtail incidence of boat mishap.
Moghalu disclosed on Thursday in Lokoja while declaring open the Grand Finale of the 2020 Press Week of the Kogi State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The Managing Director, who was represented by Engr Joseph Ororo, General Manager, Marine Services, said that in recent times incidences of boat mishap on the nation’s inland waterways had become rampant and, therefore, required urgent measures to curtail it.
He said that most developed economies of the world recognized the importance of inland water transportation and had gone ahead to exploit it to their advantage.
Moghalu said Nigeria was yet to take full advantage of inland water transportation, adding that efforts were on to transform the sector as it remained cheap, safe and cost effective as it brings down the cost of haulage. “Under the watch of Moghalu, NIWA is repositioning itself for enhanced water transport operations.
We are building vessels, we have started training and retraining of host operators to reduce incidences of boat mishap”, Ororo quoted the NIWA Managing Director as saying.
Moghalu, therefore, solicited the cooperation of the NUJ to support the NIWA in its efforts of enabling Nigerians to be guided by the regulations. “We all know the importance of journalists in the society. No news can get the desired impact on the society without you disseminating it”, he said, describing as apt, the theme of the Press Week: “Inland Water Transportation: the Untapped potential in Nigeria Economy’.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Press Week featured a lecture on Inland Waterways by Dr Anthony Danladi Ali, Dean of International Studies at Federal University, Lokoja.
Prince Matthew Kolawole, Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly; Barr. Shaba Ibrahim, Member representing Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency; Dr Victor Adoji, an Economic Development Consultant and Bameyi Atuluku Negedu, an oil marketer were some of the personalities honoured at an investiture and award ceremony at the occasion.
(NAN)
