NIWA private sector collaboration will improve efficiency, safety and service delivery across Nigeria’s inland waterways, the agency says

The National Inland Waterways Authority, led by Acting Managing Director Yusuf Girei, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustained collaboration with the private sector to enhance efficiency and expand service delivery across Nigeria’s inland waterways.

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Yusuf Girei made the disclosure in Abuja when the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Fatima Mahmood, met with the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority to strengthen safety awareness and improve operational performance nationwide.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the engagement focused on familiarising Fatima Mahmood with the authority’s operations and assessing how its programmes align with the mandate of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

During the meeting, Yusuf Girei, alongside senior management officials, briefed the Permanent Secretary on the agency’s statutory mandate, vision and mission, highlighting key achievements as well as persistent operational challenges.

The Acting Managing Director said the authority has continued to roll out initiatives with visible impact, noting that NIWA private sector collaboration remains central to unlocking the economic potential of inland waterways.

Yusuf Girei said partnerships with private operators are vital to improving navigation, infrastructure development and safety standards, describing collaboration as a powerful tool for driving efficiency and expanding access to inland water transport services.

In her response, Fatima Mahmood commended the authority for its ongoing efforts and urged management to intensify safety sensitisation, particularly by extending awareness campaigns to religious centres to reach a wider range of water users and operators.

The Permanent Secretary also encouraged closer collaboration with sister agencies, stronger engagement with the media for public enlightenment, improved human capital development and more regular reporting to the ministry on activities and progress.

The meeting underscored the government’s resolve to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure that inland waterways play a more strategic role in national transportation, economic growth and public safety.

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The National Inland Waterways Authority is a Federal Government agency established in 1997 under the NIWA Act and operates under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, with responsibility for regulating and developing Nigeria’s extensive network of rivers, creeks and lagoons.