Don seeks commitment to dredging of the Lower River Niger

A strong transportation sector with a reliable navigation component has been described as the backbone of economic development. The federal government has, therefore, been charged to go beyond lip service and show sincere commitment to the dredging of the Lower River Niger to accelerate the country’s economic recovery.

A Professor of Transportation History at the Federal University, Lokoja, FUL, Anthony Danladi Ali, gave the charge when he delivered the 44th Inaugural Lecture of the institution yesterday at its Felele Campus. He spoke on the topic “Politics of transportation, dredging and navigability on the Lower River Niger, 1901–2023.”

He said some cynics hold that the River Niger can not be dredged, whereas “it is  possible to dredge the Lower Niger River  from  the confluence of the Rivers Niger and its  biggest tributary, the River Benue, and make  it navigable ALL Year round by Ocean-going  ships, such that ships can  come up Inland to  the confluence from  overseas.”

Prof. Danladi observed further that ‎”the Federal Government of Nigeria has failed to pay adequate attention to developing inland water transportation on the Lower Niger River because political considerations override economic decisions in Nigeria since the country gained political independence in 1960.

‎“We must realize that an efficient transportation system is vital to the growth of Nigeria’s economy. The government must therefore intervene to resolve the conflict in the transportation sector.”

‎He recommended that the federal government should improve the transportation capacity of the Lower River Niger through annual dredging and called for greater commitment to bring it up to the standard of the Mississippi River.

‎Prof. Danladi also called on the federal government to create intermodal transport linkages connecting major river ports on the Lower River Niger and ensure that canals are constructed as arteries of trade.

‎Earlier, in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Solomon Gbenga Ibileye, said inaugural lectures are a normal academic exercise aimed at cross-fertilising intellectual ideas and commended Prof. Ali for choosing a topic he described as timely. He said the university will continue its pursuit of academic excellence through thought-provoking inaugural lectures.