– May deploy drones to monitor waterways
Vincent Toritseju
Oyetola also said inland waterways transport will reduce energy consumption and further reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Speaking at this year’s Maritime Business Roundtable Breakfast meeting held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Oyetola stated that more volumes at much lower rates could be transported through inland waters adding that safety and security concerns on the nation’s waterways is still a worrisome issue for the government.
He explained that the Government is considering the deployment of advanced monitoring and surveillance systems to tackle the issues of safety and security on the waterways.
He said: “It is obvious that the use of advanced monitoring and surveillance system is one of the key aspects of improving safety and security concerns in our inland waterways. However, in the light of its significance, there is the need for our country to leverage on technologies such as satellite imagery, drones and sensors to enhance the ability to detect and respond to security threats in real time.
“These tools not only help in preventing incidents but also assist in improving response times and maximize the impact of any potential danger.
“It is pertinent to highlight that, while these technological advancement offer great promises, the human aspect in ensuring safety and security is not to be neglected. Training and equipping manpower in the industry with necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilized these technologies are just as crucial as implementing the tools themselves, as such, a well-trained workforce is essential.
“On the roadmap for the inland waterways transport in Nigeria, I can assure you that the government recognises that in order to stimulate and promote growth of the sub-sector, for more efficiency, connectivity and reliability, it must focus on areas such as dredging key waterways, construction of new ports and terminals, improving navigational aids and safety measures, regulatory reforms, use of new technologies etc.
“Furthermore, for these strides to be achieved, the government will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that these challenges are overcome a robust and sustainable growth is a achieved.”
Speaking earlier, convener of the meeting, Mrs. Edodo Emore said that there is still room for the development of the nation’s inland waterways transportation noting that the benefits of investing in inland waterways is self-evident.