The National Inland
Waterways Authority (NIWA) is making concerted efforts to re-awaken the relevance of inland waterways transportation in Nigeria.
The Port Harcourt Area Manger of NIWA, Abdullahi Dabai, dropped this hint during a workshop on Community Sensitisation on Environmental  Issues and Security along the nation’s waterways, organised by the centre for Creative Arts Education held in Port Harcourt recently.
Dabai said the development of the Inland waterways would bring about rapid transformation of the  Nigerian economy into globally competitive one and create jobs in the hinterland which had been inaccessible due to transport and other difficulties.
He said with the re-introduction, the nation’s enormous resources would be widely distributed and utilised for industrial growth.
According to him, an efficient coastal and Inland waters system would relieve pressure on the country’s rail and road transport infrastructure, adding that the waterways also transport bulk goods over long distances at very low rates.
“The energy demand is low and the negative effect of environment is minimal. It, therefore, makes economic sense to use inland waterways for transportation of goods and persons,” he said.
The Area Manager, who noted that Nigeria is blessed with fovourable climate, an extensive area of land with abundance of rivers configuration is very suitable for movement of people and cargo from north to south.
Dabai further noted that it is the cheapest mode of transport compared with road, rail and air transports, it is a means of economic development as well as instrument of national integration, adding that it is extremely safe and has low pollution.
On the achievements of NIWA in country, he said is the successful dredging of the 572 km channel of the River  Niger from Baro in Niger State to Warri in Delta State, which, according to him, had been on the drawing board for over 30 years.
The Port Harcourt Area manger, NIWA also disclosed that the authority had rehabilitated and constructed Onitsha river ports and jetties,  collaborated with security agencies for provision of  adequate security on waterways, cleaning of water hyacinth, embarked on safety campaigns, placed sanitation on overaged boats from operating and other  measures to ensure safety of  passengers on the waterways, he said.