The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to strengthen its integrity systems to boost revenue.

He said system integrity is an economic necessity that has a direct impact on revenue generation.

The minister noted that trusted institutions attract investment, enjoy higher compliance, and reduce leakages.

Oyetola spoke yesterday in Abuja at a capacity-building workshop for board members, management, and area managers of NIWA.

The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Fatima Sugra Mahmod, said: “Across the world, public institutions that have transformed their fortunes did so by first fixing their systems. Public institutions that struggle with inefficiency and low revenue can become commercially viable by tightening governance, automating processes, eliminating discretionary abuses and insisting on performance. When the system works, revenue follows.

“NIWA, like many other public institutions, faces real and persistent challenges to system integrity. These include revenue leakages, weak enforcement of regulations, inefficiencies in licensing and tariff administration, inadequate data on traffic and assets, safety lapses, and, in some cases, practices that undermine public confidence.

“NIWA, like many other public institutions, faces real and persistent challenges to system integrity. These include revenue leakages, weak enforcement of regulations, inefficiencies in licensing and tariff administration, inadequate data on traffic and assets, safety lapses, and, in some cases, practices that undermine public confidence.

“These vulnerabilities not only reduce revenue; they erode the authority’s ability to deliver on its mandate. They slow down dredging projects, delay the operationalisation of river ports, compromise safety on our waterways, and discourage private sector participation.”

He added: “We must be frank with ourselves. Every naira lost to inefficiency, sharp practice, or poor planning is a naira taken away from dredging our channels, maintaining navigational aids, enforcing safety standards and unlocking the economic value of our inland waterways. The cost of weak systems is paid by the people, by businesses that depend on reliable transport, and by communities whose economic opportunities remain constrained.

“Strengthening system integrity requires deliberate action. Transparency and accountability must move from slogans to daily practice. Financial flows must be traceable end-to-end. Tariffs and charges must be clear, fair and consistently applied. Enforcement must be firm but lawful. Internal controls must be strengthened, and audit findings must lead to corrective action, not be filed away. Leadership at every level must set the tone by example, demonstrating zero tolerance for misconduct and zero tolerance for excuses.”

Oyetola also urged NIWA to adopt technology solutions, automate processes, and implement robust governance frameworks to enhance system integrity and revenue generation.

He said: “Technology offers NIWA a powerful lever for reform. Digital platforms for licensing, tariff collection and monitoring can dramatically reduce human discretion, close revenue leakages and provide real-time data for decision-making.

“Automation will empower the institution to function predictably and efficiently. Institutional reforms, including clearer role definitions, performance metrics and consequence management, must complement technological solutions if integrity is to be sustained.”

The minister stressed the need for leadership to show commitment to integrity, accountability, and transparency.

He urged NIWA’s board and management to prioritise financial sustainability and drive reforms.

Oyetola said: “NIWA must rethink how it views revenue. Revenue is not an afterthought; it is a core operational responsibility. The authority must move beyond traditional approaches and begin to think boldly and creatively. Our waterways are economic corridors. They should be monetised responsibly through a mix of user charges, concessions, partnerships and value-added services.

“There will be no room for excuses. The Federal Government alone does not have the fiscal space to fund all dredging projects, port infrastructure, safety equipment and enforcement needs. That reality is not unique to Nigeria, and it will not change in the near term.

“NIWA’s board and management must, therefore, rise to the challenge of significantly increasing internally generated revenue to fulfil the Authority’s mandate. This is not optional; it is imperative.”

Explaining how NIWA would boost its revenue and drive change, the agency’s acting Managing Director, Umar Girei, announced that it would fully digitise its operations to generate revenue.

Girei said: “What we are doing in NIWA is to make sure that we digitalise our activities to ensure that we capture all the revenues that are coming into NIWA. So, we are going full digitalisation.”

As the rainy season approaches, the acting managing director announced that special marshals had been deployed across the country to where boat mishaps are prevalent, to enforce waterways regulations and prevent mishaps.

“We have deployed special marshals. These special marshals are deployed across the country. They are in all our loading points to check and ensure that the passengers wear their life jackets and make sure that the drivers are in good condition. So, these marshals are there, and because of these recent happenings on the river, we have extended their duty time.

“The marshals used to operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. But because it has been observed that some of the mishaps happen at night, we have extended the time for the marshals to be on the loading points till when everybody leaves.”

Girei acknowledged that dredging is capital-intensive, but assured the nation that the government would source funds to dredge some portions of the waterways.

“Dredging is capital-intensive but we will make sure that we have all the necessary funding for us to dredge our waters. We will continue to give all the necessary attention to it,” he said.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, hailed NIWA for taking steps to strengthen its capacity to prevent corruption and promote ethical culture.

The chairman noted that NIWA’s operations expose it to corruption risks, particularly in areas such as revenue assurance, procurement, concessions, enforcement, and stakeholder interface.

“ICPC is more focused on preventing corruption in the country because we believe that preventing corruption is more beneficial and cost-effective than running after stolen funds,” he said.