A Critical Assessment of the Inland Waterways Operations and Management on the Development of the Nigerian Maritime Industry

This paper looks at the nature, characteristics, scope, impact, effects of inland water ways and to ascertain the relativity of the inland waterways operation and management on the development of the Nigerian Maritime Industry at large with much focus on the inland coastal shipping (cabotage) Act of 2003.This paper was modeled on the premise that looked at both primary and secondary sources of information in its data collection. The primary data was obtained from various responses to quantitative and qualitative questionnaires distributed to specialists within and out of the area of research coupled with personal observation. The secondary data was extracted from newspapers, newsletters, seminar/workshop materials, technical and economic journals and unpublished materials that were considered relevant to the study. The hypothetical analysis and test was carried out from the primary information and evaluated using both the qualitative and quantitative method (chi-square test) wherewith certain objective conclusions were reached as stated within the body of the work. Recommendations based on the relative operationality of the inland waterways system via cabotage on the entire gradual development of the maritime sector was likewise given, which would make impact if carefully considered and employed over time. Therefore, this paper will collectively examine the impact of inland water ways to the growth and development of the maritime industry sector in particular and the large Nigerian economy in general