Acting Managing Direc
tor of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr Danladi Ibrahim, has said the dredging of the Lower River Benue, awarded at a cost of  N26 billion, would be completed in two years..
Ibrahim made the disclosure when he visited the Lagos Area Office of NIWA, as maritime activities closed last Friday.
He said the contract was awarded to Messer Oyins Oil and Gas Ltd.
“We have awarded the dredging of Lower River Benue to the tune of N26 billion.
“Also, the dredging of the Lower River Niger is completed and quite a number of boats and jetties are under construction.
“We are all aware that we have completed the Onitsha river port and it will be concessioned to the private sector to operate anytime from now.
“Baro is 95 per cent completed; Lokoja is about 50 to 60 per cent as well as Oguta port. We have awarded the construction of Makurdi river port and any moment from now it will take off,” he said.
Ibrahim also said that NIWA would colllaborate with the riverine states to maintain efficient inland waterways services in the country.
He said that to checkmate over-loading and over-speeding, a code of operation would soon be gazetted and enforced to regulate inland waterways traffic.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) said it would audit the operations of private terminal operators to attain efficiency.
The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to Ports and Cargo Handling Services Ltd, the port operations arm of the Sifax Group.
Our correspondent reports that Ports and Cargo Handling Services, operating in ‘Terminal C ’ of the Tin-Can Island port, Lagos, is among the 26 private terminal operators given the concession to run ports in Nigeria.
Bello said the idea of auditing the terminal operators was meant to ascertain their equipment and find out the challenges facing them.
In his response, Mr John Jenkins, the Managing Director, Port and Cargo Handling Services Ltd, commended the council for its good policies.
Jenkins said the council’s policy had given terminal operators the hope to remain in operations in Nigeria in spite of the inability to have constant power supply.
“This year, our dwell time has reduced drastically. We will like the council to partner with the terminal operators.
“We have introduced online billing system to reduce human traffic at the port and fast track cargo clearance,’’ Jenkins said.
Our correspondent reports that the Nigerian ports were handed over in a concession exercise to 26 private terminal operators in 2006.