Charting Nigerian waters for safer navigation
Egbuh, Innocent N.
In pursuit of Nigeriaas international obligations on maritime safety, the elimination of dangers to search and rescue efforts in our coastal waters, environmental pollution and destruction of maritime habitats, and hide-out for sea-borne criminal elements, the Federal Ministry of Transport through the National Maritime Authority (NMA), entered into an agreement on June 16, 2003, with Humber Marine Werks Limited (HMW) for Consultancy on Removal of Wrecks and Derelicts in Nigerian Waterways. The aim of the contract was to conduct hydrographic survey of Lagos Ports Area; a critical input to quotations for actual removal of wrecks by contractors to be nominated by the Ministry. It is the first out of four phases of survey contracts required to cover the various port areas in Nigeria. Humber Marine developed a survey priority plan, which identified those areas with the highest risk of maritime accidents, taking cognizance of traffic volume, inadequacy of charts or previous surveys, and potentially insufficient under-keel clearance. State-of-the art technologies were deployed to increase the quality of field data collection. Some of the most significant technological survey tools deployed were Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), echo sounder, magnetometer, and side scan sonar systems with the corresponding computer software - such as HYPACK Max hydrographic software, AutoCAD 2000 software, Surfer Digital Terrain Modelling (DTM) software, and HydroCAD software for reducing sounding data among others.
Event: 5th FIG Regional Conference for Africa : Promoting Land Administration and Good Governance
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