NIWA Pushes Indigenous Operators To Acquire Modern Vessels, Partners Local Boat Builders
By Roland Ekama
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced an accelerated programme to upgrade dilapidated jetties, phase out unsafe boats and encourage indigenous operators to buy modern vessels — with procurement and construction partnerships for local boat builders at the centre of the plan.
Chairman of the NIWA Governing Board, His Excellency Barrister Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, reiterated the Authority’s commitment to rehabilitating infrastructure, strengthening safety enforcement and deepening private-sector collaboration during a briefing with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.
The visit was led by the Board Chairman, members of the Board and NIWA Managing Director, Engr. Yusuf Gerie.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Shagari said the newly inaugurated Board began with a nationwide review of NIWA infrastructure to prioritise rehabilitation of offices and jetties and to expand critical water-transport facilities.
He stressed that “We have made provisions in our budget to address infrastructure challenges across our offices and jetties nationwide. We want all NIWA facilities to be functional, presentable and capable of supporting efficient service delivery,”
A central aim, Shagari added, is to reduce the fleet of aging, unsafe boats that still operate Nigeria’s inland waterways. NIWA plans to phase out outdated vessels and support their replacement with safer, modern alternatives.
” To accelerate that transition the Authority is promoting purchase of new boats by indigenous operators and exploring procurement arrangements that will deliberately involve Nigerian boatbuilders.
“We are committed to phasing out unsafe vessels and replacing them with safer and more modern alternatives. We will work with indigenous boat builders and industry stakeholders to raise fleet standards and improve the quality of water transport services across the country,” the Board Chairman said.
Shagari also urged greater private-sector participation in dredging, infrastructure development and water-transport services, and said NIWA will ramp up efforts to grow internally generated revenue through stronger stakeholder engagement and partnerships with relevant agencies.
On safety enforcement, he disclosed ongoing collaboration with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, to tighten compliance at unregulated jetties and to ensure adherence to water-transport regulations.
Managing Director Engr. Yusuf Gerie said the Board’s Lagos visit was intended to obtain first-hand knowledge of operations and to identify practical measures for improving inland-waterway services nationwide.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for appointing experienced professionals to reposition NIWA and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda for the marine and blue economy.
Lagos Area Manager Engr. Sarat Braimah welcomed the Board and stressed Lagos’s strategic importance to inland water transport, pledging continued focus on safety, regulatory compliance and operational efficiency on the nation’s busiest waterways.
Board Member Captain Tajudeen Alao thanked the media for coverage and called on water-transport operators, security agencies, private investors and other stakeholders to support NIWA’s drive for safer, more efficient inland waterways.
He urged operators to prioritise buying modern boats and encouraged investors to partner with indigenous boatbuilders so Nigeria’s inland fleet renewal benefits local industry and jobs.