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Nigerian
Dredging Summit 2011.
Pictures of Past Dredging Summits
2010 Summit
2009
Summit
2007
Summit
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IN
THE NEWS...
5th Nigerian
Dredging Summit Calabar 2011: Delegates demand manpower development
and a credible association.
Delegates at this year’s edition
of the Nigerian Dredging Summit pondered long on the critical shortage
of properly trained dredge masters and appealed to the authorities to
take pro-active action to remedy the situation.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the 3-day event which held
in Calabar on September 14-16, 2011, the delegates also decried the
lack of a credible association which could articulate the interests
of industry practitioners across the federation.
The coordinator of the programme Edmund Chilaka announced the formation,
on the sidelines of the event, of Dredging Federation of Nigeria, a
development that got immediate endorsement from most delegates who indicated
written interest in membership.
The event was studded with interesting highlights, including seminars,
a visit to Calabar Port (ECM Terminals and Intels), excursion to the
first government house in Nigeria- turned slave museum.
In one of the most stirring seminars, Surveyor Geoff Nweke, ex-staff
of NPA Calabar, presented the story of the Calabar river dredging campaigns.
Speaking to the accompaniment of a Powerpoint presentation on projector,
he went on like this, “…Calabar Port is situated on the
South Eastern tip of Nigeria but its approaches stretches several kms
into the sea. Its exact location on the Calabar River is about 96km
upstream from Calabar Fairway Buoy which is a few kms from the Nigeria/Cameroon
border.
“The river mouth at sea is over 10kms wide and tapers down to
a width of about 2.5km around Parrot Island. The width reduced further
to about 600m at the old Port. As the port is approached, the width
reduces further to about 400 metres close to the NNPC Jetty before the
port is reached about 10km upstream. (Find overview of channel attached
in page 2).
“A number of reasons could be adduced for the heavy siltation
along the Calabar River. Firstly, the catchment arc of the river falls
within the heavy rainfall forest region of Nigeria where rain falls
for up to 10 months in the year causing a lot of leaching and erosion
on the surrounding land. The accompanying runoff reach the Calabar River
with lots of materials via tributaries the chief of which are Cross
River, Great/Little Kwa River and the Mbo River.
2. The narrowness and winding nature of the river up stream when compared
to the river’s estuary is perhaps responsible for the very high
water level during flood tide. The tidal range along this river is about
3.0 meters which makes it the highest within the country…”
3. The meeting of heavier dense salt water from the sea with fresh water
from the Calabar River during flood/ebb tide cause heavy siltation along
the channel.
4. Tom shot shoal (KP, 70 - 74) is a natural barrier through which the
Calabar Access channel was cut. This barrier is perhaps the greatest
obstacle across the channel as past surveys conducted before Nigerian
Ports Authority dredging campaign did show that the section recorded
shallow depths (-5.0m) and had lots of siltation. The estimated quantity
of spoil to be dredged from this section based on Van Oord’s 2003
survey was 2.89m3 while 2.49m3 was estimated by Gems International in
2007.
5. Unlike what happens in Lagos and Port Harcourt which spoil disposal
is at sea, disposal of dredged materials are dumped in the deep section
of the Calabar River, with time some of these materials find their way
back into the channel….”
Delegates listen with rapt attention at the First Government House in
Nigeria, Calabar, during the Dredging Summit 2011.
In another riveting presentation, Dr Uchenna Okore, a lecturer at Maritime
Academy of Nigeria, lectured the audience on training possibilities
at the institution which premiered the training of sea farers in Nigeria.
He began with a sad comment on Nigerian human capacity development history,
“Shipping and allied companies in the Nigerian maritime industry
prefer to have well – trained staff working for them but there
is a reluctance on the part of some of them to invest in training. As
a result Nigeria today is in a situation where she cannot find qualified
personnel to operate ships within her coastal waters and to man the
industry…
“Training provides the best and surest way to stem the acute manpower
shortage facing Nigerian maritime industry. There are around 120,000
seafaring jobs existing in the shipping industry in Nigeria but fewer
than 800 Nigerian seafarers to take up such jobs. - Omatseye, (2010).
“Training programmes offered by maritime academies and training
centres in Nigeria. There are six (6) approved maritime schools and
training centres in Nigeria, namely, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron;
Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos; Elkin Marine
Training International, Lagos; Charkin Maritime & Offshore Safety
Centre, Port Harcourt; Joemarine Institute of Nautical Studies and Research,
Effurun, Warri; and, Coastal Maritime Academy, Lagos….”
Other seminar important lectures and presentations were made by resource
persons like Surveyor Felix Osanebi, Dr Archibong Otu Bassey, Engr Ben
Efekarurhobo and Surveyor O Omotosho of LCM/NPA. It was apparent to
the delegates that the dredging industry in Nigeria is still at the
toddling stage and therefore required the pioneering work of the few
elites and literate operators who have interest in seeing the growth
of the industry. It was resolved that a national association be formed
immediately to begin to coordinate the interests of Nigerian practitioners.
This reflected in the communiqué issued at the end of the 3-day
event (see below).
As is usual with the annual summit series, there were excursions to
the Port of Calabar where delegates were received by staff of Ecomarine
International Ltd and Intels Nigeria Ltd. They conducted delegates round
their facilities. At the other excursion venue, National Museum and
Archives Calabar, popularly known by its function as the First Government
House in Nigeria. This wooden one-storey house set on a hill and overlooking
the Calabar River survives till date in tact. It was used as the residence
and office of the leader of the colonial delegation which ruled Southern
Nigeria Protectorate from around 1899 until it was transferred to Lagos
when it became the Protectorate of Lagos and Southern Nigeria.
The museum also holds very much of the artifacts and relics of the slave
trade: the holding of slave era memorabilia is assembled and displayed
on two floors. The history of the ancient peoples of southern Nigeria
which includes present day south west, south south and south east regions,
their peoples and kings, chiefs and trade items are abundantly displayed
in this museum. The archives contain huge volumes of agreements between
the colonial officers and pre-colonial traders and the native peoples
of various ethnic groups. The Museum attendants attest that it takes
some visitors upwards of two hours to go through the whole excursion
with a guide making explanations. For any intending visitors, a token
fee of N100 is charged by the Museum for the guided tour. Books and
other publications on these related topics are on sale by some kiosks
in the museum while beads, drawings and various art materials about
the era in question are also on sale. Food and refreshment are also
available in the facility.
First Government House in Nigeria / Calabar Museum.
Communiqué of the 5th Nigerian Dredging Summit
2011…
1. Summit supported the formation of Dredging Federation of Nigeria,
as an association of all reputable indigenous stakeholders.
2. Summit emphasized the need for aggressive training
and human capacity/manpower development for the dredging industry.
3. Summit enjoins the Federal and State Government
to apply professional and project management expertise for public sector
dredging campaigns.
4. Encourages NIMASA to develop proper database on available dredgers
operating in the country, their owners and safety status and other particulars
in liaison with the association of indigenous dredging stakeholders.
5. Government agencies like NCDMB should encourage
local manufacturers and entrepreneurs to acquire requisite skill, knowledge
and management expertise for producing dredgers in Nigeria to avoid
capital flight.
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The
scorecard on Nigerian seaport reforms
It’s ten years since the Obasanjo’s presidency kick-started
the search for better fortunes for Nigeria’s port industry. Once
upon a time, the ports were a haven for wharf rats. No more. Ships then
spent weeks in port to load and discharge. Stevedores were unruly, practicing
the infamous “akube” system, where shipping lines paid for
16-men gangs but get 8 men instead. None could do anything about it
for many years. The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) was then
a glorified gang-up of port industry warlords. Former transport minister,
Chief Ojo Maduekwe, shocked the nation when he exposed bags of money
brought to him at night to soft-pedal the wheels of the reforms which
started rolling during his tenure.
Read more...
Other Articles &
Interviews:
Mr Pier Luigi Carrodano on his
work with Gen. T Y Danjuma's companies and the Chinese sea trade with
Nigeria...NEW
Engr Akin Olaniyan on need for NIMASA
to return to original mandate and harnessing cabotage trade...NEW
Dr. Wilson Odafe Omene on Niger
Delta politics, amnesty programme, Nigerian maritime and local govt,
etc....NEW
Capt
Adeyemo on River Niger Dredging...
Prof
P.C. Nwilo on his assessment of NIWA during sabbatical ...
Mr
Nseyeng Ebong on his 8-year tenure as rector of Maritime Academy
of Nigeria Oron...
Chief
Dumo Lulu Briggs as
chairman of Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron, his vision...
Engr
Muyiwa Omasebi: The face-off Between NIWA, MMSD and Lagos State Govt.
Otunba
K Folarin: The Collapse
of Nig. shipping lines.
P.L.
Carrodano: How govt
can revive Nig. shipping lines.
Sam
Epia: The struggles
of Nig shipping lines with cargo reservation scheme.
Jeff
Gibb: Intricacies of
the equipment market in Nigeria.
Environmental
Quality Monitoring.
Environment: "How
many choppers has DPR got?" - Chief Ogunsiji.
Dredging the Niger Delta: Interview of Ben Efekarurhobo.
Role
of Surveying in the Dredging Industry
G.B Liman:
Of Myth, Reality and Resource Control
Dredging
Law: A judgment on the ownership of a sand dredging site by the
Court of Appeal.
Dredging
Law:
a.
Lagos State Attorney General Interpretes state law on sand dredging
and stockpile.
b.
NIWA public notice on Lagos State intervention in inland waterways regulation.
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TRAINING COURSES.
Efficient Dredge
Master Training
Train your dredge masters, engineers, electricians and deckhands in
relevant skills for efficiency, productivity, equipment safety and maintenance.
All trainees are time-tested with written and practical tests. Transcripts
and attendance certificates given.
Courses:
1. Dredge Appreciation / Refresher –
knowledge of safety procedures for equipment use:
PPE; Safety operation onboard dredge; Maintenance routine; Checks for
optimal production while pumping; working with boosters; splicing and
fixing cables, cleaning and painting; Etc. For Dredge crews mainly.
Class room lectures and Practical sessions onboard dredge.
2. Firefighting
and Protective Measures (including respiratory protection). For
Dredge crews, Field and Technical workers. Class room lectures and Practical
session at the Fire Bay.
3. Basic sea
survival techniques and the use of lifesaving equipment. Class
room lectures and Practical sessions at the standard swimming pool with
professional gear.
For details of availability, duration, registration, fees and teaching
logistics, please contact the organizers:
Dredge Skills and Marine Training Centre Ltd.
E187, Ikota Shopping Complex, VGC, Ajah. Lagos Nigeria
Tel.: +234 1 7928166 or 08033378735
Email: dredgeskills@gmail.com
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