Lokoja: The Chairman of the Board of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Alhaji Muktar Shagari, emphasized the critical importance of ensuring safety on Nigeria’s waterways, linking it to professionalism, efficiency, and national development. He delivered this message while addressing the NIWA management and staff at the Authority’s headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Shagari expressed concern over the tragic loss of lives on Nigeria’s waterways in the past, declaring that such avoidable incidents must come to an end. He highlighted the significant opportunities that Nigeria’s waterways offer in transportation, agriculture, tourism, and energy sectors. Shagari stated that by fostering unity, professionalism, and commitment, NIWA has the potential to become a leading agency for federal reform and national progress.
He outlined plans to enhance the enforcement of safety regulations, improve monitoring systems, and cultivate a culture of professionalism across all NIW
A operations. Shagari stressed that safety is non-negotiable and emphasized the necessity of making inland waterways a dependable alternative to the heavily burdened road network, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s economic expansion initiatives.
Shagari detailed NIWA’s commitment to intensifying efforts in dredging critical channels, rehabilitating jetties, and expanding facilities to support transportation, logistics, and trade. He linked these efforts to the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which challenges federal institutions to raise standards, enhance transparency, and deliver tangible results that improve the lives of Nigerians.
The chairman assured that the board would continue supporting training, rewarding excellence, and upholding fairness in career progression, while maintaining discipline, accountability, and ethical conduct at all levels. He encouraged the staff to reflect renewed hope in their character and service, emphasizing the board’s readiness to support management in steering NIWA
towards innovation and renewed hope for the nation.
Earlier in the meeting, the Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Umar Yusuf-Girei, acknowledged Shagari’s appointment as board chairman as timely and pivotal in the authority’s evolution. Yusuf-Girei expressed confidence in Shagari’s ability to enhance the authority’s mandates, praising his extensive experience and leadership skills, and thanked the president for his continued confidence and strategic appointments.
He further elaborated on NIWA’s mandate, established by Decree No. 13 of 1997 (now CAP N47 LFN 2004), to develop, regulate, and manage Nigeria’s over 3,000 navigable inland waterways, which are crucial for safe transportation and economic growth. NIWA operates from its headquarters in Lokoja, with various departments and 23 operational bases across Nigeria, including two inland ports in Onitsha and Baro, underscoring its vital role in national transportation, trade facilitation, environmental sustainability, and economic integration.