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By Steve Agbota
Boat operators under the aegis of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) have called on the newly appointed Managing Director/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority, (NIWA), Mr Munirudeen Oyebamiji to relocate the corporate head office of the agency away from Lokoja to Abuja or Lagos.
In a statement signed by the ATBOWATON national president, Gani Balogun, the association congratulated the new NIWA MD on his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the appointment is timely and will stabilise the regulatory agency to ensure sustainable growth and safety measures on the waterways transportation ecosystem in the country. He added that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola did his homework well on the new appointee.
However, he called on the new NIWA Managing Director to help champion a new lease of life for indigenous boat operators, particularly in areas of training, safety awareness and funding oppourtunities to acquire operational spare parts and watercraft for its members.
He also advised the new appointee, a former commissioner for finance in Osun State, to reappraise developmental goals expectations of NIWA critically, enthrone strategic growth targets and create an enabling environment for serious private sector participation and visibility on water transportation, maritime tourism and the dredging of waterways space across the country.
Balogun, who assured the new NIWA boss of ATBOWATON support, further advised him to wear his life jacket, take to practical oversight of the huge waterways potentials across the country, factor quick wins and collaborate with the private sector and relevant agencies in government to champion and change the narratives of NIWA.
To administratively make NIWA easy to reach and engage, the ATBOWATON leader, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to open up the national waterways space for investment in recreation, logistics and new maritime cities, appealed to the NIWA Chief Executive to move NIWA corporate head office to Abuja or Lagos, away from the Lokoja backwater location.
“Lokoja should serve as an Area Office and in view of the fact that most critical agencies of government are in Abuja, makes it easy for inter-agency relationship and visibility, as NIWA cannot afford to hide in Lokoja and expect to be reached easily by its publics and the oversighting ministry,” he said.
