Ahead of this year’s World Hydrography Day (WHD), the Nigerian Navy (NN) has taken campaign for navigational safety to littoral communities to educate them on the dangers of indiscriminately waste disposal.
The service said it has recorded 50 per cent success in the survey, charting of Rivers Niger and Benue.
Hydrographer of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Chukwuemeka Okafor said these at a briefing to announce activities lined up for WHD in Apapa, Lagos.
Okafor who noted that indiscriminate waste disposal posed navigational risks to mariners, said hydrographers from the Navy had already been sent to coastal communities across the country to create awareness.
He said the move was in line with this year’s team “Hydrography: Contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade”, adding that career lectures would also be delivered to pupils of selected schools in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kano to arouse their interest in the field of hydrography and by so doing, get more experts who would provide quality service for the country.
Aside the lectures, he said there would be a plenary session on June 21, for professionals and government officials to deliberate on how best to use the science of hydrography to improve the health of Nigeria’s ocean for sustainable development.
On the historic survey and charting of the country’s waters, Okafor said upon completion would open inland navigational routes which have remained moribund for over six decades.
He said: “The tripartite collaboration between the Nigerian Navy, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and NEXIM Bank led to the ongoing historic survey and charting of Rivers Niger and Benue, which is about 50% completed. This survey and charting project, when completed, will re-open a very critical inland water navigation route in Nigeria, which has remained moribund for over six decades.
“It will further provide the government with vital information that will provoke appropriate governance measures to ensure sustainable use of this part of Nigeria’s maritime space.”