NEXIM Seeks Collaboration With Nigeria Navy On Regional Sealink Project, Others

The Managing Director, Nigerian Export–Import Bank,NEXIM, Mr. Abba Bello has solicited for partnership and cooperation of the Nigerian Navy towards facilitating the regional Sealink Project, internal waterways operation and coastal trade. Ekwi Ajide of our Abuja Bureau reports that Mr. Bello made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas in his office.

Mr. Bello identified the areas of support and cooperation to include involvement of the Navy Hydrograph Department in the proposed survey of the lower River Niger and River Benue with the submission of data collected to the Navy Hydrograph Department for chart publishing.
Other areas are provision of security support for safe navigation
along the trade routes or channels and development of a mutually
beneficial partnership framework for the use of the Naval Dockyard Limited for servicing and repairs of Sea link operated vessels, design and construction of barges.

The partnership would also include recruitment of retired naval personnel. Responding, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibas
underscored the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to the security of the nation’s waterways following the establishment of Nigeria Navy
Security LUGARD at Lokoja and Naval Outposts at Onitsha and Idah.
He mentioned the prospects for the establishment of other Nigerian Navy outposts along the nation’s major inland waters, particularly at Oguta and Shagunu in Imo and Niger states respectively.

The Chief of the Naval Staff expressed hope that an appropriate
Environmental Impact Assessment of the Regional Sea link Project would be done ,considering the heavily silted waterways across the nation.
Admiral Ibas reassured Mr Bello of Nigerian Navy’s capacity to support the project in the areas of production of appropriate navigational charts for the nation’s inland waterways and dredging operations.

The Sea link Project has been endorsed and adopted by the ECOWAS
Commission as one of its priority projects under the ECOWAS Community Development Programmes and is also co-opted into the Nigerian Fleet Implementation Committee, NFIC.