The Onitsha River Port has received the first container barge for the 2025 season, as MV ZUPITOR/MV RB ALASKA, berthed at the port.
Mr. Chris Mbonu, the General Manager of Universal Elysium Limited, the concessionaire of the port in Anambra State, expressed his enthusiasm, describing the berthing of the barge as a positive milestone.
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He explained that operations at the port were ongoing, albeit being seasonal, with activity peaking only during the rainy season when the River Niger’s water level rises sufficiently to allow vessel movement.
Addressing the reason for the seasonal operation, Chris Mbonu said that this was due to inconsistency of dredging and channel management of the River Niger, rather than a lack of infrastructure or demand.
The GM appealed to the Federal Government, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and private stakeholders to make regular dredging and maintenance of the River Niger a national economic priority.
He explained that dredging of the River Niger would make operations at the Onitsha River Port all-year-round, seamless and yield huge economic gains.
“The port is functional and ready to work 365 days a year. But without consistent dredging of the River Niger, we are forced to operate only when the waterway allows us—essentially turning a national asset into a seasonal stop-gap.
“We offer bonded terminal services, warehousing, cargo handling, and Free Trade Zone operations. The problem lies in waterway access — not facilities or readiness.
“The infrastructure is in place, the demand is evident, and the benefits are far-reaching. What is required now is government consistency and strategic investment to make inland waterway transport a pillar of Nigeria’s economic growth,” he said.
He likened a port without a navigable waterway to a car without fuel, adding that the current situation limits the port’s capacity to serve as a true inland logistics hub for Nigeria’s growing domestic and international trade.
Mbonu stated that regular dredging of the River Niger would unlock year-round navigability, enabling barges, ferries, and larger vessels to move seamlessly between the southern seaports and the inland commercial centres.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
