The National Inland Waterways Authority said it is sustaining collaboration with the private sector to enhance efficiency and expand service delivery.

According Wednesday’s statement, the Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Yusuf Girei, disclosed this in Abuja when the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Fatima Mahmood, engaged with the management of NIWA on strengthening safety awareness and improving service delivery across Nigeria’s inland waterways.

The statement indicated that the meeting focused on familiarising the Permanent Secretary with NIWA’s operations and assessing how NIWA’s programmes align with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s mandate under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Addressing the session, Girei, alongside members of the management team of NIWA, briefed Mahmood on the agency’s core mandate, vision and mission, as well as key achievements and operational challenges.

He explained that NIWA has continued to roll out initiatives with visible impact in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Girei noted that the agency is “sustaining collaboration with the private sector to enhance efficiency and expand service delivery. Such partnerships remain vital to unlocking the economic potential of inland waterways while improving navigation, infrastructure and safety standards nationwide.”

In her response, Mahmood commended NIWA for its efforts and emphasised the need to broaden safety sensitisation. She urged the agency to take awareness campaigns to religious centres in order to reach more water users and operators.

Mahmood encouraged closer collaboration with sister agencies, improved human capital development, stronger engagement with the media for public enlightenment, and regular updates to the Ministry on NIWA’s activities and progress.

NIWA is a Federal Government agency established in 1997 under the NIWA Act, Cap N47, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. It operates under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (formerly the Ministry of Transportation). NIWA was created to regulate, develop, and manage Nigeria’s inland waterways for navigation, transportation, and related economic activities. Its mandate covers major rivers, creeks, lagoons, and coastal waterways across the country, including the River Niger, River Benue, and their tributaries.