Chief George Moghalu, a former National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was recently appointed the Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). In this interview, he speaks on his vision for the agency and other issues.

What do you make of your appointment as the Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA)?

I want to thank Mr. President for the confidence in me and finding me worthy to serve the nation in this capacity and I want, with a firm commitment to assure him that I will not let him down and I will not let Nigerians down. I am determined to leave a mark by the time I would have finished my term in NIWA.
For me, it is a very great responsibility and I want to be remembered after my tenure for what I would have contributed to building on the achievements of my predecessors in office. I am among those groups of Nigerians, who believe that all will always be well with our nation. What we require is a re-dedication and to to serve with commitment. For me, it is a new dawn.

What do you know of NIWA before your appointment?

NIWA is more of a regulatory agency in charge of the waterways in the country. I believe that if we explore the waterways of Nigeria, it has great potentials in the area of water transport. The simplest I can say now is that it will reduce the burden on Nigerian roads. If our waterways are opened, the channels are free and secured; you can open the scope of passenger traffic. It is economical and it goes round the country. A good percentage of the goods that arrive the port in Lagos go to the South-East and are transported by road. It puts great pressure on the road. But if we have a clear waterway transport system, all these goods can be received in Lagos and moved to the inland ports.


We have a completed river port today in Onitsha and a jetty being built in Oguta. We also have a completed port in Baro and some of the goods going to the North can be moved by the waterways to Baro and to other areas where we have functional jetties and ports. It will open up the waterways and if these waterways are opened, you see that communities and other settlements along those routes will start being developed. It reduces tremendously, the pressure you have on the roads. If the agency engages major critical stakeholders, it will come to a point when cement and other heavy equipment are moved by river and they still get to where they are meant to go. When we do that, we would have succeeded in reducing the pressure on Nigerian roads.

To what extent do you think this can be done?

We can develop it to a point where passenger fleet can still be enhanced. The beautiful thing is that it provides opportunity for massive employment. It is capital intensive and we have to make a huge capital investment to make it very functional. It is one area that if we make it functional, it will help in reopening our economy. It is my intention to create an opportunity to engage critical stakeholders so that we all can discuss these issues and come to a point of understanding and see the potentials lying fallow that we can explore for the benefit of our nation.
As an agency we have challenges. It is not as easy as we are saying it. Sometimes, you talk about desalting of the channels; you talk about the security challenges of these waterways. But these are issues that are surmountable and issues that can be addressed. With collaboration with sister agencies of government, I am sure these issues can be addressed and water transport will then become the favourite of the Nigerian people. I think that will help our economy.

What challenges do you think that poor water transport have caused to the economy?

If you look at the gridlock we are suffering today in Apapa, if we had a functional waterway system, a good number of these goods stocked there, building demurrage, frustrating importers would have gone to their destination through the river ports. I am aware that about 90 per cent or more of the materials being used to construct the Second Niger Bridge come by the river port and come through the waterways to Port Harcourt to Onitsha. If Julius Berger can do it, why not others. We need critical stakeholders who will now invest in that sector of our economy just like they are doing in the road transport. You can get them to understand the potentials in the water transport.

I personally appreciate PMB for finding it worthy in appointing Chief Moghalu as the New National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) boss, this is a man that understand the importance of Onitsha river port, Baro port to Nigerians, unlike the former Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, George Moghalu is from Anambra State, and he's aware we need the port to function more than anything

When I told Ignorant minds that all the containers Julius Berger were bringing for second niger bridge came through Onitsha port they were doubting me, Moghalu confirmed that 90% of the equipments using for second niger bridge came through Onitsha port,

Let them commission since it is already completed.

What are they still waiting for?

Northerners need Baro port to function because this is the only means cargoes can get to North from sea to Baro River port, it's important to nort, same as easterners and Baro port both region share same waterway, no conflict of interest unlike the former, Buhari knows the reason he appointed Moghalu

Baro port

Ndibunna:
Let them commission since it is already completed.

What are they still waiting for?

It has been commissioned, I'm certain by next year we will hear good news.

Just as FRSC ensures road safety,is NIWA meant to ensure the safety of the waterways? Pls I need clarifications.What is the role of NIMASA?

Truely speaking, nigerian sea ports are under utilize.
This is one of the major reasons the roads are in their present condition.

Adblg0610:
Just as FRSC ensures road safety,is NIWA meant to ensure the safety of the waterways? Pls I need clarifications.What is the role of NIMASA?

NIWA functions

Provide regulation for inland water navigation;

– Ensure development of infrastructural facilities for a national inland waterways connectivity with economic centers using the River Ports and nodal points for inter-nodal exchanges;
– undertake capital and maintenance dredging;
– undertake hydrological and hydrographic surveys:

– design ferry routes:

– survey, remove, and receive derelicts, wrecks and other obstructions from in land waterways;

– operate ferry services within the inland waterways system;

– undertake installation and maintenance of lights, buoys and all navigational aids along water channels and banks;

– issue and control licenses for inland navigation, piers, jellies, dockyards;

– examine and survey inland water crafts and shipyard operators;

– grant permit and licenses for sand dredging, pipeline construction, dredging of slots and crossing of waterways by utility lines, water intake, rock blasting and removal;

– grant licenses to private inland waterway operators;

– approve designs and construction of inland river crafts;

– approve and control all (i) jetties, dockyards, piers within the inland waterways;
(ii) advertising within the right-of-way of the waterways:

– reclaim land within the right-of-way;

– undertake the construction, administration and maintenance of inland river-ports and jetties;

– provide hydraulic structures for river and dams, bed and bank stabilisation, barrages, groynes;

– collect river lolls;

– undertake the production, publication and broadcasting of navigational publi­cations, bulletins and notices, hydrological year hooks, river charts and river maps;

– carry out consultancy and contractual services;

– represent the Government of Nigeria at national and international commissions that deal with navigation and inland water transportation;

– subject to the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, carry out environmental impact assessment of navigation and other dredging activi­ties within the inland water and its right-of-ways;

– undertake erection and maintenance of gauges, kilometre boards, horizontal and vertical control marks;

– advise government on all border mailers that relate to the inland waters;

– undertake acquisition, leasing and hiring of properties;

– run cruise boats;

– carry out boat repairs, boat construction and dockyard services; and

– clear water hyacinth and other aquatic weeds.

Anambralstson:
I personally appreciate PMB for finding it worthy in appointing Chief Moghalu as the New National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) boss, this is a man that understand the importance of Onitsha river port, Baro port to Nigeria unlike the former Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, George Moghalu is from Anambra State, and he's aware we need the port to function more than anything

Only if they can give him the needed supports to actualize what he had just dreamed of, because our government don't have the culture of giving attentions to the relevance they rather preferred milking from the already made facilities to establishment of new ones....



....and you will still see some nincompoops who doesn't understand what this means for the economic improvement to a country like Nigeria...who will come up to kick against this due to their hatred for the development a project of this kind.....


Nigeria as a predeveloping nation really have to embrace this kind of project with immediate effect...... Q.E.D

Adblg0610:
Just as FRSC ensures road safety,is NIWA meant to ensure the safety of the waterways? Pls I need clarifications.What is the role of NIMASA?

NIWA wide range of engineering services include construction of inland river-ports and jetties; engineering design of river ports. They also undertake in capital and maintenance dredging.

ziegurf:




Only if they can give him the needed supports to actualize what he had just dreamed of, because our government don't have the culture of giving attentions to the relevance they rather preferred milking from the already made facilities to establishment of new ones....



....and you will still see some nincompoops who doesn't understand what this means for the economic improvement to a country like Nigeria...who will come up to kick against this due to their hatred for the development a project of this kind.....


Nigeria as a predeveloping nation really have to embrace this kind of project with immediate effect...... Q.E.D

This is one of the areas East and North share common interest

Anambralstson:

This is one of the areas East and North share common interest

Let me be specific...... Afonjas won't like this because of their tribalistic nature of life......they're the reason this country is so backward in terms of infrastructural development sharing




.....just watch how they'll flood in to attack their ancestors here right now

Anambralstson:

NIWA wide range of engineering services include construction of inland river-ports and jetties; engineering design of river ports. They also undertake in capital and maintenance dredging.

Thanks for your response,it's very comprehensive.

is a welcome development, but to be honest the Calabar, portharcourt and ibom ports should actually be put to more use as they're easier access to the Atlantic.. Nigeria should build numerous ports to lessen the heavy trucks on our roads

murphyibiam15:
is a welcome development, but to be honest the Calabar, portharcourt and ibom ports should actually be put to more use as they're easier access to the Atlantic.. Nigeria should build numerous ports to lessen the heavy trucks on our roads

Exactly what I will give more concentrations if elected the PRESIDENT of Nigeria in 2023

Many cynical minds from the east will change once Onitsha port start functioning, ongoing Enugu international airport expansion, second Niger bridge, federal roads etc, and they're seriously working on these areas, thanks PMB