Lokoja, Feb. 3, 2026 (NAN) Alh. Umar Yusuf-Girei, Acting Managing Director (MD), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has pledged strong partnership with private companies to boost ease of business in the country.
The NIWA boss made the pledge in a statement signed by Mr Suleiman Makama, NIWA Assistant General Manager (AGM), Corporate Affairs, on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Yusuf-Girei, who made the pledge during his visit to BNL Ceramic and West African Ceramic Company, both in Kogi, said the visits were part of the authority’s effort to enhance ease of doing business in the state.
The acting MD explained that the decision of the authority was in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the country’s economic growth and development.
He said that the decision to visit the ceramic factories in Kogi was aimed at exploring ways in which NIWA could support the growth of the ceramic industry in the state.
“We are leveraging the state’s abundant natural resources and using the inland waterways for easy and safe transportation of goods and services.
“Again, the purpose of the visit is to know about BNL Ceramic’s activities and challenges and how to partner with you on the utilization of the inland waterways in conveying your raw materials and finished goods,” he said.
According to him, NIWA is working so hard to ensure the waterways are navigable all year round for the benefit of travelers and companies.
In their remarks, the representatives of BNL Ceramic, Mr. Zhang Xin, and West African Ceramic Company, Mr Emmanuel Oreye, both thanked the NIWA boss for the visit and expressed their companies’ readiness to partner with the authority to boost its business.
Xin and Oreye, who represented their managing directors during the visits, said that they were in dire need of NIWA’s support in transporting their finished goods on the waterways.
They said that over the years their companies have been using the waterways in transporting both raw materials and finished goods, thereby reducing the cost of production compared to road transportation and others.
Some management staff who accompanied the Ag. MD on the visit included Muazu Dan’Azumi GM (RPS), Engr. Dakio Horsfall GM (Marine), Barr. Naziru Biyankare GM (Legal), and Engr. Fidelis Ejike GM (Engineering).
Others were Engr. Muhammed Dangana GM (Special Duties), Mr. Abubakar Danladi Head (Finance), and DCP Shuaibu Audu (Commander Inland Waterways Police Command). (NAN)
