The Nigerian Navy (NN) has commenced the systematic survey of the country’s offshore waters, 200 years after the colonial masters attempted it.
The exercise was flagged off by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT.
It is expected to drastically reduce navigational risks to mariners posted by wreckage, enhance national security and also boost the income of maritime agencies.
Checkout Magazine reports that the multipurpose vessel, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) LANA, which was custom built at a shipyard in France, set sail Wednesday afternoon and would cover 22 nautical miles from shore.
To achieve the coverage of the country’s entire 84,000 square nautical miles, it would take NNS LANA an estimated 46 years.
However, its success would enable the country to take ownership of survey and charting its waters, an exercise performed by the British across west and central Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Amaechi said the survey of the country’s waters would lead to the generation of about two million jobs as it would increase patronage of the country’s ports.
He said: “As this vessel commences the survey of Nigerian offshore today it is expected it would provide the necessary enablers to support the government’s economic diversification initiative through improved maritime security, maritime trade as well as improved economic prosperity…
“The completion of this survey and charting operation would boost the confidence of both mariners to increase patronage of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar ports, just as the Warri, Sapele and other ports that are hitherto operating at the lowest level would be reactivated. This would provide over two million direct and indirect jobs, increase the economic viability of these ports and ultimately decongest Lagos traffic as well as reduce pressure on our roads.”
