INLAND WATERWAYS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGER/BENUE CONFLUENCE REGION OF NIGERIA 1960-2000
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Date
2020-10-04
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Veritas Catholic University, Abuja
Abstract
Inland waterways can be both a blessing and a curse to their host communities. They become a blessing when used the natural resources is used for development projects and other activities, while they can become a curse when they are left uncared for and lead to flood and breeding ground for mosquitoes, rodents and wild animals. Nigeria, like many other countries in the world, is blessed with abundant inland waterways, which are important for the socio-economic development of the country. This paper focuses on assessing the impacts of Rivers Niger and Benue on the economic development in the Niger-Benue confluence region since Nigeria’s independence in 1960. It also examines the various government policies on the waterways and how they contribute to the development of the Niger-Benue confluence region. The traditional historical approaches which comprise the use of the Archival Research Technique and Oral Interview were employed to gather adequate information for the study. Findings from the information collected show that since independence, the waterways have played a major role in the lives of the people in the region, although there were challenges resulting from diversions of government policies on the waterways. But despite these challenges, the people and the region continued to witness different forms of development with the use of the waterways. The paper therefore concludes that the people of the Niger-Benue confluence region are attached to the rivers which determine the economic activities and development of the Niger-Benue confluence region during the period studied.
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4. Hadizat, A.S: (2020), Inland Waterways and Economic Development of the Niger/Benue Confluence Region of Nigeria 1960-2000. In, VUNA Journal of History and International Relations. 4 (1): 241-259. Journal published biannually by the Department of History and International Relations, Veritas University, (The Catholic University of Nigeria), Abuja.