Ahead of the celebration of the World Hydrography Day on January 21, Nigeria has been urged to establish a commission to bring together all interested parties for the overall development of the nation’s maritime industry.
The International Hydrographic organisation stated this in a document made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.
It stated that the 2013 edition of the global event coming under a theme, ‘Hydrography – underpinning the blue economy,’ provided an opportunity to increase public awareness of the vital role of hydrograph in people’s lives.
The group explained that “the blue economy is more than the traditional core activities of fishing, maritime trade and passenger ships,” it also involved aquaculture, biomedicine, boat and ship building, cable and pipelines, shoreline development, port operations and defence and security among others.
It noted that maritime played a vital role in nation’s growth with over 80 per cent of its trade conducted by sea.
“Every human activity conducted in or under the sea depends on knowing the depth and the nature of the seafloor, the identification of any hazards that might exist and an understanding of the tides and the currents.
“Obtaining and disseminating this hydrographic knowledge is the role of the world’s hydrographic surveyors and nautical cartographers. Their work is the most fundamental of all the enablers required to develop and sustain the blue economy.”
It noted that the suggestion to set up a hydrographic commission was not new, as it was part of the recommendations of the West Africa Action Team after its visit in 2002.
The group said Nigeria, as a member of the IHO, attended the regional conference, adding that the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office coordinated the visit programme.
It called on all stakeholders to support the move to revive IHO in Nigeria in order to be qualified to receive the necessary support from the group at the international level for national maritime development.