The Federal Government has disclosed that 28 out of 36 Nigerian states are navigable, hence, its decision to explore water transportation to reduce the burden on roads.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji while speaking with newsmen in Ilesa, Osun state at the weekend.
He said if properly handled, 28 states of the federation are navigable, hence, the federal government is exploring means to make water transportation a major contributor to the nation’s GDP.
He said, “Certainly, in this period of high cost of transportation, we are exploring waterways as a means of transportation. 28 out of 36 states, if properly handled, are navigable to enhance our water transportation, you can rest assured that we are going to work on that and make use of our waterways.
“We will ensure that our waterways are efficiently managed so that we can add value to our GDP. We are going to maximize the opportunity of our waterways.
“Apart from transportation, there are a lot of benefits in our water systems that we can tap into. We are going to ensure that we add value to our waterways”.
Speaking on the economic policies of the Federal Government, Oyebamiji said that though they seem tough, it is the best for the growth of the economy, urging Nigerians to endure for a little more time to enjoy the dividends of President Bola Tinubu’s tough decisions.
“The economic reforms introduced by the President are the best. Nigerians have forgotten that the challenges have been existing in the country for a very long time. Since we took over from the British, we have not gotten our economic policies right, this is the only time that we have gotten them right. If you look back, we have a lot of challenges and to correct it, it will take time. The suffering might be big now but I am very sure that our people will laugh last”, he added.
Source: Vanguard
