Navy Marks World Hydrography Day
For effective surveillance of the nation’s maritime domain, the Nigerian Navy recently marked the World Hydrography Day, just as it said the service is constructing an offshore vessel for its hydrographic department to survey and chart the inland waters.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral IbokEtte Ibas, made the disclosure at the 2018 World Hydrograph Day Celebration held at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Ibas, who represented by Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Sylvanus Abbah, said that on the hydrographic platform acquisition, the navy had completed the construction of two survey launches locally at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard Limited.
“The navy has also awarded contract to a French Ship Yard for the construction of an offshore survey vessel.
“The navy has and is still training a number of its personnel in various field of hydrograph at various International Hydrographic Office (IHO) accredited institutions around the world’’, he said.
Ibas also said that there were efforts to accredit the Nigerian Navy Hydrograph School(NNHS) so as to meet local capacity building needs of stakeholders in the country.
He added that the navy was in talks with some tertiary institutions and relevant stakeholders in the country for commencement of relevant hydrographic courses.
“These efforts are intended to deliver total hydrographic package to mariners in the next few years in order to facilitate safety in navigation and improved marine activities in Nigeria’’, he said.
Ibas said it was in the light of this, that the theme: Bathymetry- The Foundation for Sustainable Seas, Oceans and Waterways was considered apt.
“This is due to indispensability of bathymetric data to successful maritime activities.
“There is today, quite a growing concern for the future of the marine environment, especially as it relates to its protection and safeguarding of its biodiversity purpose of exploiting its rich natural resources for the benefit of mankind.
“These concerns can only be assuaged with the availability of accurate and up to date bathymetric data,” he said. Ibas, however, said that the navy had taken giant steps in providing improved service delivery to mariners operating in Nigerian waters in the last one year. “These steps include the fulfillment of phase 1 of the IHO Capacity Building Strategy, which has to do with the ability to disseminate Maritime Safety information to mariners.
“Also the navy has recently revamped its Cartographic Unit for charts production, which has so far led to the training of one cartographer, with the second about to commence training in the USA next month.
“Work on the production of National charts series for Nigeria has commenced and shortly, mariners would be able to access nautical charts covering parts of Nigerian waters from the Nigerian Navy Hydrograph Office,” he said.
The Hydrographer of the navy, Commodore Emeka Okafor, while speaking with journalists said that the survey office needed more empowerment to carry out more surveys.
“More survey brings more activities and economy which will have impact on everybody in the nation. “The survey equipment are not cheap so by the time you buy one, you will need the next and without the next, you will not be able to maximise the use of the one you bought.
He said less than 10 per cent of the Nigerian waters that has been charted, adding that empowerment of the survey office was key.
“So the major challenge is financing and the navy is really trying. Many people have been trained and one after the other, the navy is addressing these issues,” he said.
The event was attended by top military brass, both serving and retired with other maritime stakeholders.