NIWA receiving proposals for Oguta, Baro, Lokoja river ports — Moghalu

After successfully concessioning the Onitsha River Ports, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), said it has received several proposals for the concessioning of the Oguta, Baro and Lokoja River Ports.

While Baro river ports have been successfully completed  and concessioned by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Oguta and Lokoja River ports are still undergoing construction.

However, speaking on the current state of the river ports across the country recently, the Managing Director, NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, said the proposal for concessioning are being given consideration.

According to him, while private sector operators manage business better, they also have enough funds to complete the construction of the river ports.

He said, “We have received proposals for those who want us to concession Oguta and Lokoja river ports as it is undergoing construction and we are giving them serious consideration because the private sector manages business better. If we are able to concession Oguta, Lokoja river ports, we may not have resources to complete the ports but if we have private sector partners who are ready to work with us, complete the construction, take them over, run them successful, we will be happy.”

“We encourage concessioning and that’s why we have Onitsha River Port as our poster boy because we have successfully concessioned Onitsha and what that means is that we can concession others and the private sector are in charge of activities their. That will be a template to guide us.”

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The MD, however, stated that the challenge of access road that has made the Baro river ports non-functional since it was commissioned by the President in 2019 is receiving government attention.

He said, “Baro is a world class port and it has been completed. The challenge we have is not about the port but access road to the port. Am happy to tell you that the federal government is starting a road project and I engaged the Niger state government where they assured that they will fix the road.

“Also, FG has approved rail p roject from Baro to Kano and work is about to start on it. It’s a major milestone for the port because Baro in the precolonial days has a port and when one go their, we will see relics of offices of GB Oliver. At the port, there was a rail line, so what is needed is to rehabilitate the rail line because we need multi modal means of transportation to be able to use the port effectively.