The Acting Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Danladi Ibrahim, yesterday said the Onitsha and Baro river ports will be commissioned before the end of 2018.
Ibrahim, while fielding questions from reporters in Lagos, listed the three other river ports as Lokoja, Makurdi and Uguta ports which are between 75 and 85 percent completed.
He said while massive constriction work in the three ports is ongoing, the authority would commence the dredging of River Benue in 2019.
He revealed that the dredging of River Benue was not included in the 2018 budget, but that provision for its dredging would be made in the 2019 budget.
Ibrahim said: “We are looking at Onitsha, and Baro ports to be completed in 2018. We have also completed one of our major ports in Lokoja.
“The two ports will be completed before the end of the year. As soon as the budget implementation starts, we will swing into action. By 2019, the agency would commence the Makurdi port, because the new ports would be developed on the basis of need arising.
“The port will be connected to rail, companies like Dangote and BUA will also be handy to utilise these ports”, Ibrahim stated.
He stressed however, that the dredging maintenance from Ajaokuta to Onitsha would be done as soon as allocation in the 2018 budget was released.
