The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Wednesday said works on the N10 billion inland ports under construction in Baro, Lokoja and Ogoja would be completed in 2017.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this in Lokoja during an interaction with newsmen, said that works on the ports at Baro, Lokoja and Ogoja had reached 98 per cent, 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively.
He put the contract sums of the ports at Baro at N3.5 billion, Lokoja; N4.1 billion and Ogoja at N2.7 billion.
He said all the ports would be completed during the 2017 fiscal year, saying the ports would be provided with other auxiliary facilities.
The NIWA boss also said that the augury port in Imo State had reached 70 per cent completion, while the Onitsha port had been completed and ready for use.
According to him, NIWA has received certificate of compliance from the regulatory body and that the process of concessioning the Onitsha port to private operators will commence soon.
When completed, he said, the port would service the entire South East, explaining that 10 other jetties were also being constructed across the country.
Mustapha expressed the hope that “the ongoing process to amend the law establishing the organisation by the National Assembly would give it the teeth to bite and resolve problems of overlapping of responsibilities and conflicts in the maritime sector.’’
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