The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) hydrographer, Mr Olumide Omotoso on Monday said that the organisation had produced the first electronic navigational charts for Lagos ports, Bonny and Port Harcourt channels.
Omotoso told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the charts were prepared to fulfill the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) requirements.
He said that the fulfillment of IMO requirement that certain navigational vessels carried the e-charts on board while sailing, was a landmark achievement.
Omotoso said that this would impact on navigation in the country.
He said that plans for production of the e-charts were finalised in 2012 when the
NPA Managing Director, Malam Habib Abdullahi and himself signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the UK Hydrographic Office.
The NPA hydrographer said that the terms of the MOU involved the UK Hydrographic Office producing the charts on behalf of the NPA.
“The current and updated e-charts for the Lagos ports, Bonny and Port Harcourt channels are ready and available now because these are the busiest channels in the Nigerian waterways.
“We are working on making the e-charts of the other channels available,’’ he said.
Omotoso said that in the area of wreck salvage, the NPA had also successfully removed 25 wrecks within the Lagos Pilotage District (LPD) in the last two years.
“The current government intervention in removing wrecks through NPA and NIMASA is a welcome development as it is an action that has successfully prevented the looming crisis in navigation of the Nigerian waters.
“It has brought about an improvement in navigation within the LPD and also brought comfort to shipping in Nigeria,’’ he told NAN.