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The Federal Government has been advised to establish a National Hydrographic Commission, in order to drive policies on hydrography for full utilization of hydrographic surveys to benefit the nation’s economy.
The Nigerian Hydrographic Society (NHS), Lagos /South-West Zone, made this call at the weekend during the 2017 Hydro Summit titled “Charting for Safety and Underwater Renewable Resources,” which held in Lagos.
Mr. Olumide Omotoso, the Hydrographer General of the Nigerian Ports Authority, who is also the Chairman NHS Lagos/South-West Zone made this known while giving a keynote address at the event.
Omotoso said a National Hydrographic Commission would ensure more regular and sustained hydrographic surveys and charting to support decision making for other benefits in the areas of dredging, fisheries, security, and even telecommunications.
“If there is a national policy on hydrography to chart all the navigable rivers in Nigeria we will do the survey and give it to government for informed policy decisions.
“When you have a national policy that says okay, you keep the data for hydrographic survey, what we call the national hydrographic commission, they will come out with programmes that show that we need to prioritize our rivers, we survey it yearly and chart it, and make it available to decision makers,” he said.
Omotoso added that the summit was to showcase the importance of hydrography in a coastal nation as Nigeria, “The summit is to address the applications of hydrographic surveying in terms of the kind of things they can offer in Nigeria; taking inventory of all your rivers, both inland and national waters and then your aids to navigation, safety of navigation, nautical charting, and oil and gas.”
Highlighting the critical place of maritime in the oil and gas operations, Omotoso added that “We want to get it right, as in, every policy that affects oil and gas must affect the maritime, especially in the local content issue, because whatever applies most time to the oil and gas, applies to the maritime.”
Speaking further, the NPA Hydrographer General said that besides hydrographic surveys for charts to ensure safe navigation, discovery and protection of fish habitats is made possible also.
“You want to apply hydrography to fishery and aquatic area; you need to also carry out a survey to discover the fish habitat, their breeding ground and be able to isolate that area for people not to go and disturb that breeding area. And you can see what that can contribute to national development.”
Omotoso commended a proposed consideration by the Federal Government to segment the Ministry of Transportation into Air Transport, Land Transport, and the Marine Transport.
Mr. Paul Adeyeye, a Hydrographer with Digital Horizon Compay, Port Harcourt, made a paper presentation on “Charting for safety and Underwater Renewable Resources.”
According to Omotoso, the zone plans strategic moves for partnerships with the south west states.
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