Lagos – The Acting Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr Danladi Ibrahim, on Monday sought the collaboration of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) for competitive rates for investors in inland waterways sub-sector.
Ibrahim made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of his visit to the headquarters of the NSC in Lagos.
He said that there was need to interact with the NSC, being the port regulator in arriving at competitive rates for investors.
“Here we are, in an economy they have turned attention to Public, Private, Partnership (PPP).
“Fortunately enough, we have received several unsolicited proposals from stakeholders with a view to have a PPP basis investment on inland waterways, waterfront and transportation,’’ Ibrahim said.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
He said NIWA was seeking the support of the NSC on how the authority could arrive at reasonable rates before presenting the proposal to the Federal Government.
Ibrahim said that he came with some members of his management team to the council for the council to guide them toward having competitive rates for the investors.
He said that he wanted a situation whereby it would be a win- win for both government and the investors.
“If this proposal sails through, government will be raking billions of revenue annually.
“We have about seven proposals right now and if they all sail through, it is going to be additional revenue for government.
“Do not forget that these are government’s assets that have not been utilised for many years,’’ he told NAN
Ibrahim said that some of the concessionaires were to develop the waterfront; some investors were to transport cargo and passengers across the sub region.
He said that other investors were meant to handle trans-shipment from Lagos to Onitsha and other ports to boost trans-shipment of cargoes as well as passengers.
Ibrahim said that the major channel from Lagos to Warri and Baro was navigable, adding that the authority needed annual maintenance of the rivers.
“The more busy the channels, the less the maintenance. That is what we are about to do now,’’ NAN quotes Ibrahim as saying.
He said that Onitsha and Degema Jetties were almost completed, adding that NIWA had finished the Baro Jetty in Niger State.
Ibrahim said that the Baro Jetty remained a cargo-handling jetty, adding that it was already in the 2016 budget and would fully commence operations in 2017.
He, however, said that Messrs Hovers Water Nigeria Ltd. would be handling transportation of cargoes between Lagos and Ghana.
Ibrahim also said that concessionaires like -International Trading and Contracting Ltd. and Messrs Mega Corp. Nigeria Ltd., would be operating from Lagos to Onitsha.
In his response, the Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, said that there was need to work toward making the potential of Inland waterways a reality.
Bello said that the role of inland waterways could not be overlooked.
He said that the challenges facing the mode of transportation in the country had called for the need to discuss appropriate measures to develop the inland waterways
The executive secretary commended the management of NIWA, who came with the investors, adding that investors were the engine room that would accelerate the growth of the country.
Bello expressed appreciation of the readiness of NIWA to discuss issues relating to investment promotion agenda of the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi. (NAN)