By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced plans to strengthen enforcement of safety regulations, improve monitoring systems, and enhance professionalism across its operations nationwide. The commitment was made on Wednesday in Lokoja by the Chairman of the NIWA Board, Alhaji Muktar Shagari, during a board meeting held to formally welcome him to office.Speaking at the NIWA headquarters, Shagari stressed that compliance with NIWA safety regulations remains a top priority, noting that preventable accidents on Nigeria’s inland waterways must be addressed decisively.“Every life lost on our waterways is one too many,” he said. “Under this Board, safety is not negotiable.”The NIWA Board Chairman said his engagement with staff was aimed at appreciating their dedication while reaffirming the authority’s commitment to advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. According to him, the agenda calls on federal institutions to raise operational standards, strengthen transparency, and deliver measurable results that directly impact Nigerians.“
For NIWA, this agenda aligns perfectly with our mandate—to transform Nigeria’s inland waterways into safe, efficient, and economically vibrant corridors of national development,” Shagari stated.He explained that as part of efforts to support economic growth, NIWA would intensify dredging of critical waterways, rehabilitate jetties, and expand facilities that enhance transportation, logistics, and inland trade. These measures, he said, are intended to position waterways as a viable alternative to the country’s overstretched road network.“We must ensure that inland waterways become a reliable option for the movement of goods and people,” he added.
On institutional discipline and staff welfare, Shagari emphasised that human capacity development would remain central to NIWA’s reform agenda. He said the Board would continue to support training programmes, reward excellence, and promote fairness in career progression, while also enforcing accountability and ethical conduct.“No institution can rise above the quality of its people,” he noted. “Renewed Hope must reflect in our character, not only in our projects.”Shagari further highlighted the economic potential of Nigeria’s inland waterways, describing them as critical assets for transportation, agriculture, tourism, and energy development. With strengthened enforcement of NIWA safety regulations and improved institutional discipline, he said the authority could emerge as a model agency for federal reforms.
He assured management and staff of the Board’s readiness to provide the necessary support as NIWA charts a new course focused on service delivery, innovation, and national development. Earlier, the Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIWA, Umar Yusuf Girei, congratulated Shagari on his appointment by President Tinubu, citing his record of public service. Girei said the appointment comes at a crucial period in NIWA’s development.“
Your appointment comes at a critical time in the evolution of NIWA, and we are confident that your experience and leadership will enhance the authority’s capacity to deliver on its mandate,” he said.Girei disclosed that NIWA operates from its headquarters in Lokoja, with 23 operational area offices across the country and two inland ports located in Onitsha and Baro. He said this wide operational spread underscores NIWA’s strategic role in national transportation, trade facilitation, environmental sustainability, and economic integration.
