Navy, NEXIM partner on Inland Waterways

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Export–Import Bank (NEXIM) has solicited partnership with the Nigerian Navy towards facilitating the regional Sealink Project, internal waterways operation and coastal trade.

Navy director of Information, Commodore Suleman Dahun, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.

Dahun said Mr Abba Bello, the managing director of NEXIM sought for this during a visit to the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas in Abuja.

He said Bello identified the areas of support and cooperation to include involvement of the Navy Hydrography Department (NHD) in the proposed survey of the lower Rivers Niger and Benue with the submission of data collected to the NHD for chart publishing.

Dahun said other areas Bello identified were provision of security support for safe navigation along the trade routes/channels, the use of the Naval Dockyard Limited for servicing/repairs of Sealink vessels and design and construction of barges.
“The partnership would also include recruitment of retired naval personnel,” he said.

Ibas, in his response, underscored the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to the security of the nation’s waterways following the establishment of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) LUGARD at Lokoja and Naval Outposts at Onitsha and Idah.
The CNS also mentioned the prospects for the establishment of other Nigerian Navy outposts along the nation’s major inland waters, particularly at Oguta and Shagunu in Imo and Niger states respectively.

Ibas recalled the existing Nigerian Navy’s collaboration with other agencies of government.

They included the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

He advocated the articulation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Nigerian Navy and NEXIM/NIWA towards the proposed collaboration on the Regional Sealink Project.
The CNS expressed the expectation that an appropriate Environmental Impact Assessment of the Regional Sealink Project had been done considering the heavily silted waterways across the nation.

Ibas reassured Bello of Nigerian Navy’s capacity to support the project in the areas of production of appropriate navigational charts for the nation’s inland waterways and support in the dredging operations.
Other areas are in the provision of necessary security to cover the entire project and construction of barges for inland waterways movement at the Naval Dockyard Limited and Naval Shipyard Limited.
The Regional Sealink Project is an initiative by NEXIM on the prompting of Organised Private Sector (OPS) adding that Sealink is currently being officially promoted by NEXIM.