The Onitsha River Port has received its first barge consignment of the 2025 season, a development the concessionaire, Universal Elysium Limited, says underscores both the port’s potential and the urgent need for consistent dredging of the River Niger.
Speaking on the milestone, the company’s General Manager, Chris Mbonu, described the arrival as a positive sign but lamented that operations at the port remain largely seasonal, peaking only during the rainy months when water levels rise enough to allow vessel movement.
According to Mbonu, the challenge is not a lack of infrastructure or demand, but irregular dredging and poor channel management. “The port is ready to operate 365 days a year, but without consistent dredging, we’re forced into seasonal activity—turning a national asset into a temporary fix,” he said.
He likened the situation to “a car without fuel,” stressing that without navigable waterways, the port cannot fulfill its role as a full-fledged inland logistics hub. He called on the federal government, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, and private stakeholders to make year-round dredging a national economic priority.
Mbonu noted that consistent maintenance of the River Niger would lower transportation costs, ease highway congestion, improve delivery timelines, and boost investor confidence in inland waterway logistics. It would also benefit agriculture, tourism, and export trade, enabling faster movement of goods from farms and factories to markets and ports.
“With proper dredging, Onitsha River Port could transform into a thriving multimodal hub, driving economic growth across sectors,” Mbonu said, adding that the infrastructure and demand are already in place—what is needed now is sustained government commitment and strategic investment.
