Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.
Following the need to accommodate additional specification of the contract awarded for the Lokoja port , the Federal Government has approved upward review of Lokoja Port of the contract sum of N400m to N600m.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority ( NIWA), Dr George Moghalu, who confirmed this to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday,
said that the review was to accommodate additional specifications to the project to meet specific standards.
Moghalu said that with this development, the contractor handling the project would soon return to site, adding that the authority was committed to its early completion.
On Baro Port which has remained inactive since it’s inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Managing Director said that the major constraint was lack of access road to the port.
He however said that he would soon meet with the Governor of Niger state, Alhaji Abubakar Bello and other critical stakeholders on how to resolve the problem.
Moghalu said that the authority had plans to review its tarrifs downward as part of efforts to make inland waterways attractive for movement of cargo and passengers.
He equally disclosed that the authority had begun discussions with some private investors to acquire ferries to ply the dredged channels of River Niger.
According to him, NIWA is in the process of buying a dredger to ensure regular maintenance of the dredged lower part of River Niger.
The Federal Government in 2011 dredged the lower part of River Niger at a cost of N36 billion.
The dredging which covered 10,000 kilometres started from Baro in Niger State to Onitsha, Anambra State.
Moghalu appealed to the media to help in returning normalcy to the country by educating Nigerians on how to regularly observe the protocols put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
He also solicited media support for the activities of NIWA, saying that the agency as a major player in the maritime sector, was critical to the survival of the country’s economy.
