The importance of water transportation could not be over emphasized for both facilitating the transportation of cargos and personnel in strengthening Nigeria’s economy and at the same time exploring the tourism potentials of water transportation. This is one of the mandates of the National Inland Waterways Authority.
NIWA is being headed by Chief Dr. George Moghalu, one of the few ardent supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. A staunch progressive, Chief George Moghalu is the immediate past National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress, APC. In October, 2019, Moghalu was appointed the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA. He stands bold to say his geopolitical zone is not marginalized in President Muhammadu Buhari government, rather he asks his kinsmen to start building bridges across the nation for the 2023 presidency.
Chief Dr George Moghalu after he resumed office as the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), made some solemn promises such as building on the already existing legacies of his predecessors.
He promised to continue with all ongoing viable and justifiable projects of the Agency as long they conform to due process and the Act establishing the Agency.
He believes that the overall policy objectives of NIWA is transforming the Inland Waterways to make them not just economically viable but also to provide a safe, reliable and alternate transport system to ease the problem of transportation and movement of goods across the country which makes the Agency and important and strategic one, placing on our a huge responsibility from which so much is expected. This mandate, Chief George Moghalu has made a vigorous watch-word, with which NIWA walks.
Recently, Moghalu was quoted saying, “Inland Waterways system is a critical component of the national freight system, particularly for movement of bulk commodities. In view of the growing transportation needs particularly in moving bulk commodities, our country dearly needs diversification and development of its critical infrastructures in the area of Waterways transportation.”
Headquartered in Lokoja, Kogi State, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was established by Decree No. 13 of 1997 with a mandate to manage Nigeria’s vast inland waterway resources.
The Decree vests in NIWA the power of exclusive management, direction and control on the Nigerian inland waterways. This power is exercised on Nigeria’s 3000km navigable waterways from the Nigeria/Niger and Nigeria/Cameroon borders to the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria is blessed with a river configuration very suitable for North-South movement of people and goods.
The inland waterways of Nigeria comprise the main river system (Rivers Niger and Benue which form a confluence at Lokoja), creeks, lagoons, lakes and intra-coastal waters. Early merchants, missionaries and educationists took advantage of the Nigerian river system to embark on expeditions on the River Niger.
Toward the development of the Nigerian inland waterways, NIWA encourages private investments on the inland waterways in pursuit of the government’s policy of Public Private Programme (PPP).
Ever since he assumed office, Chief Moghalu has sought support and collaborations from relevant stakeholders who would work with his agency for a better future in the Water-ways sector of the Nation. Due consultations have helped NIWA grow.
Recently, due to his quest to enhance security on inland waterways, the Managing Director National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Chief Moghalu paid a courtesy visit to the Coordinator Presidential Amnesty Program Colonel Milland Dikio Dixon in his office in Abuja.
According to reports, Chief Moghalu who was accompanied by his management team stressed the need to collaborate, synergise and look for areas of partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Program in order to provide adequate security on NIWA facilities in the Niger-Delta Area and to also build confidence in stakeholders that our waterways is crime free.
He added that this visit is part of his security stratagems by engaging all the relevant security forces, such as the police and Navy to beef up the security on the waterways.
Manning the Maritime sector in Nigeria, Moghalu has ensured that all hands are on deck by each Maritime agency in the country to ensure security and safety on waterways for improved water transportation through adequate collaboration and synergy.
A mandatory monthly meeting where issues pertaining to Maritime security and safety, capacity building and enforcement of security protocols, to reduce the carnage on the nation’s waterways are tabled among Chief Executives of the agencies has also been very helpful.
A remarkable achievement of Dr. Moghalu led administration at The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is the commissioning of a 36 seater ferry boat at Yelwa – Yauri, Kebbi State.
The procurement of the 36 seater ferry boat was a collaboration with Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, as part of his constituency project.
Under his watch, the Onitsha River Port is billed to commence full operation by the first quarter of 2021, thanks to the midas touch of Moghalu’s administration. NIWA has been making frantic efforts toward full operation of a port in the South East since Dr George Moghalu assumed office, though the commencement of operation of Onitsha River Port was put on hold due to the ongoing concession process. When the port commences full operation, it would reduce the cost of moving goods and humans from Onitsha to other parts of the country.
The full operation of the port would promote and increase commercial activities and attract more investors into the state.
The Onitsha River port was built under the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1983 and since then, it has been lying fallow and completely underutilized until 2012 when it was rehabilitated and commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Under his watch, NIWA has never spared the rod, in correcting any erring stakeholder in the waterway sector. News made the rounds of NIWA shutting down operations of the boat operator; Lalek Marine for failing to comply with regulations put in place against night movement and overloading of boats in Lagos.
The boat, which operated out of Ebute Ero jetty on Friday night by 8pm and capsized on its way to Ikorodu, shortly after departure, with 14 passengers rescued and six dead with one missing.
In the wake of COVID-19, NIWA woke up to its responsibilities, by issuing guidelines for a better-controlled inland waterways transportation and jetty operations regime. These guidelines are in tandem with the directive of the Presidential Task force on COVID-19, to allow a gradual and controlled easing of the lockdown as announced by the President on March 27. It restricted movement of Boats/Ferries between the hours of 6:30 am and 5:30 pm.
Also, the loading capacity of all Boats and Ferries were pruned down at 60 per cent capacity until further notice. Which meant that a 20-passenger boat will be reduced to 12 passengers only.
NIWA also enforced the use of facemasks by all passengers before embarking and throughout the duration of travel. These, among other cogent rules were put in place by the Waterway Agency. In fact, to ameliorate the cost of operations for commercial boat operators, the authority directed all jetty operators to charge fifty percent of applicable jetty fees.
Chief Moghalu’s outstanding performances have been noticed by reputable organisations of international repute, who in turn conferred awards of Leadership and Excellent Performance on him in recent times.
Just in December, Moghalu had triple honours in recognition of the Managing Director’s tremendous achievements and contributions to the development of the Inland Waterways sector, nation building and selfless services to humanity.
The first award is the MARITIME CEO TO WATCH IN 2020 organized by the Shipping World Magazine Achievers Awards 2020, Maritime Media Limited, at Federal Palace Hotel Lagos, recently.
The second award is the MARITIME PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2020 by the organizers of Leadership Excellence Awards, Igbere TV and endorsed by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU-ACOFOCC) at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja. This award coincided with the birthday of the great achiever George Moghalu.
Also, Top Flyers Magazine International confers the Award of LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR 2020 to Moghalu at Rock View Hotel (Royale) Abuja.
Definitely, these awards will spur him to do more to achieve all the mandates given to him by Mr. President at NIWA and make him transform the Inland Waterways transportation system in the country. We also hope Dr. George Moghalu will build Nigerian’s confidence in the waterway sector and in him, for future assignments.
