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FG To Channel Lagos-Onitsha, Lagos-Baro Waterways In November
Fred Omotara, Lagos
The Federal Government has given assurances that it is working assiduously to ensure that soon, Inland waterways will be developed enough to move cargoes by barges from Lagos to Onitsha in Anambra State and Lagos to Baro in Lokoja. This is even as it expressed plans to channel the waterways from Lagos to Onitsha and Lagos to Baro in November 2022.
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo gave the assurances during an interview session with Journalists at the on-going 2022 Ministerial Retreat held over the weekend in Uyo, Awka Ibom State.
“We want to make sure that Inland waterways transportation is developed in such a way that movement of containers and other cargoes by barges from Lagos through the intra-coastal routes to hinterlands will become the new normal,” Sambo said
According to the Minister, to make that possible, it will involve clearing the waterways and fortunately, the Ministry has found a company that is ready to do that sometime in November, this year.
“We have a dream in the Ministry to move containers from Marina in Lagos to Onitsha in Abambra State and even to Baro in Niger State. That will entail channelization and channel management of the routes from Lagos through the intra-coastal routes up to Onitsha along the river Niger and up to Baro,” the Minister informed.
Answering a question on how to deliver the National Development Plan 2021-2025 as regards transportation, the Minister said: “The plan that we have under the 25 years Railway Modernization Plan is to connect every State capital by rail”.