Ododo, NIWA Seal Pact to Transform Kogi Waterways into Jobs, Trade Hub

Onuminya Innocent 

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has pledged his administration’s full support for the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) as both parties move to reposition the state’s vast river network as the engine room of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.

The assurance was given yesterday when the Chairman of the NIWA Governing Board, Barrister Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, led the Authority’s management team, including Managing Director Yusuf Umar Girie, on a courtesy visit to the governor.

In a statement issued by Shagari’s Media Aide, Musa Ubandawaki, Ododo described Kogi as Nigeria’s natural gateway to inland navigation, stressing that the state’s location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers gives it a unique advantage in national trade and transport.

“We are fully committed to partnering with NIWA to harness the enormous potential of our waterways,” the governor said. “These natural assets must become catalysts for sustainable economic growth, investment, wealth creation and employment.”

Ododo noted that his government is fully aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the federal government’s Blue Economy policy, adding that inland waterways development will stimulate commerce, agriculture, tourism, fisheries and logistics.

The governor further assured the NIWA Board of institutional backing for projects aimed at expanding river transport infrastructure, improving navigation, enhancing safety standards and attracting private capital into the sector.

According to him, greater investment in inland water transport will also ease pressure on federal highways, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and commercial goods, and deepen regional integration across riverine communities.

Earlier, Shagari said the visit was to deepen collaboration between the federal agency and Kogi State in order to unlock the economic value embedded in the state’s waterways.

“Kogi State is uniquely blessed with vast and strategic inland waterways which, if properly harnessed, can transform transportation, commerce, agriculture, tourism, fisheries and logistics,” Shagari stated. “The opportunities are enormous and must be fully exploited.”

The NIWA chairman listed priority areas for collaboration to include the development and rehabilitation of jetties and landing sites, dredging of navigable channels, strengthening waterways security, and mobilizing private sector investment in river infrastructure.

He added that the Authority remains committed to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and will work with state governments to create thousands of sustainable jobs for Nigerians through ferry operations, fishing, boat building and other water-based enterprises.

The meeting ended with both sides expressing optimism that the renewed partnership will accelerate infrastructure delivery, expand regional trade, lower transportation costs and consolidate Kogi’s position as Nigeria’s hub for inland navigation and blue economy prosperity.