NIGERIAN WATERWAYS

Waterways are very important to the Economy of Nigeria

Nigeria is blessed with a large resource base of waterways spanning 10,000 kilometres; about 3,800 kilometres is navigable seasonally. Twenty eight of the nation’s 36 States can be accessed through water. Nigeria can also link five of its neighbouring countries–Benin Republic (Port Novo), Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic by water.

The Rivers Niger and Benue constitute the major channels for inland navigation which include but not limited to the Cross River, Port Novo- Badagry-Lagos waterways, Lekki and Lagos Lagoons, Ogun-Ondo waterways, Benin river, Escravos channel, Nun River, Imo River, Orashi river, Ethiope River Ugwuta lake, Lake Chad and the numerous creeks in the Niger delta.

MAP

Federal Navigable Waterways

1. The River Niger from the Nigerian/Niger/Benin border, through the Nun and Forcados distributaries to the Atlantic Ocean.

2. The River Benue from the Nigerian/Cameroun border to its confluence with River Niger at Lokoja.

3. The Cross River from the Nigerian/Cameroun border to the Atlantic. Ocean, and all its distributaries.

4. Rivers Sokoto. Kaduna. Geriny. Gongola. Taraba. Donga. Katsina-Ala. Anambra. Ogun. Oluwa. Osse, Benin, Imo. Kwa Ibo.

5. The Intra-coastal route from Badagry. along the Badagry Creek to Lagos through Lagos Lagoon to Epe, Lekki Lagoon lo Iwopin. along Omu Creek,. Talifa Kivei io Atijere, Akata. Aboto. Oluwa River to Okitipupa and onto Gbekebo. Arogbo. Ofunama. Benin Creek to Warri. Also the canal running from Araromi through Aiyetoro. Imelumo to Benin River and from Aiyetoro through Mahin Lagoon to Igbokoda.

6. The waterway from Warri along the Forcados River, through Frukana, Siama. Bomadi. Angalabiri. Patani. Torofani. down River Nun to Agberi, Kiama. Sabagreia. Gbaran Creek, Agudama, Ekpetional into Ekole Creek to Yanaka. Yenegoa, Sangala to Mbiakpaba. onto Okokokiri, Ofokpota, Olagaga. Nembe, Adema. Agoribiri Creek to Egbema, Degema, Sombreiro River to Hanya Town, Ogbakiri to Port Harcourt.

7. The waterway from Port Harcourt, through Amadi Creek down Bonny River, into Opobo Channel Adoni River, through Andoni Flats, Tellifer Creek, Imo River. Shooter Creek. Kwa Ibo Creek, Kwa Ibo River, Stubbs Creeks. Widenham Creek, Effiat-Mbo Creek, Cross River estuary to Oron and Calabar.

8. Rivers Benin. Ethiope, Ossiomo. Onne, Aba. Azumini, Olomum. Siluko, Talifa, Forcados, Penington, Escravos, Warri, Ramos, Dodo, Bonny, Middleton, Fishtown, Sengana, Brass of Nicholas, Santa Barbara. San Batholomew, Sambriero, New Calabar, Mbo, Rio del Rey, Uruan, Akwayafe.

9. Creeks Odiama, Agamama Tora, Nembe, Krakama, Buguma, Bille, Finima, New Calabar, Ekole, Cawthprne Channel, Ikane-Bakassi, Omu, Kwato (Gwato), Adagbrassa, Chananomi, Okpoko, Jones Kulama, Ikebiri, Nikorogba, Sagbama, Egbedi, Kolo, Laylor, Hughes Channel.

10. Lakes Mahin, Oguta, Osiam Ehomu.

11. The Orashi River from Oguta Lake to Ebocha, Omoku, Kreigani, Moiama., Okariki, Egbema, Sombreiro River.

12. Lake Chad, that part within Nigeria.

States Accessible by Navigable Waterways in Nigeria

The longest river in Nigeria are the Niger River and its tributary, the Benue River but the most used, especially by larger powered boats and for commerce, are in the Niger Delta and all along the coast from Lagos Lagoon to Cross Rivers.

9

Rivers

13

Creeks

19

Lakes

20

Lagoons