WARRI – The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, has urged the Federal Government to upgrade the Hydrographic Department of the Nigerian Navy to National Hydrographic Commission (NHC).
Jibrin made appeal on Friday in a keynote address to mark the “2014 World Hydrography Day Celebration” in Warri.
The theme of the one-day event is “’Hydrography-Much More Than Just Nautical Charts”.
Jibrin, who was represented at the event by Rear Adm. Sidi Usman, Head of Logistics Command, Oghara, Delta, said the development would enable the current Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO) to have access to direct funding.
He said the current budget for the Navy cannot adequately accommodate the huge financial requirement involved in hydrographic operations in view of the enormity of surveying required in Nigeria’s maritime domains.
Jibrin attributed the slow pace in the development of hydrography in the country to the government’s will and inadequate funding.
“As a commission, it will assume a status for direct funding under a seperate budget head for hydrographic services for Nigeria,” he said.
The CNS said the essence of the celebration was to give adequate publicity to the global contribution of hydrography to the economic activities associated with oceans, seas and coastal zones.
Jibrin said that Nigeria joined the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) in 1981 and had remained a key player in the organisation.
He also said that Nigeria was a member of the East Atlantic Hydrographic Commission (EAHC) created by IHO to promote hydrographic cooperation at the regional level.
Jibrin said the Navy’s Hydrographic Office was proposing to host the East Atlantic commission between 2014 and 2016 to justify its position in hydrology commission.
He pointed out that the Navy was in the process of developing Nigeria’s hydrographic capability in line with the IHO’s phase 3 Hydrographic Capability Strategy.
The Navy chief sought for more collaboration from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigerian Ports Authority and other relevant stakeholders to move the Nigerian hydrography forward.
In his remarks, the Hydrographer of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Adm. Abdullahi Inusa, said that hydrography contributed significantly to the efficiency of maritime transport by allowing voyages to be shortened if new routes were surveyed.
He said that hydrography also supported marine defence and security by allowing freedom of maneuver for search and rescue and Naval operations.
“’Hydrography provide primary data essential for coastal zone management and development.
“’It is a direct contributor to the identification and discovery of mineral resources at sea as well as critical requirement for the selection of routes for submarine pipelines and cables,” he said.
Inusa also said that hydrography was a major controlling parameter in ocean dynamics and a model for predicting the natural phenomena such as tides, ocean current and tsunami.
In attendance at the event were members of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society, secondary school children and traditional dancers, among others. (NAN)
