The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority to leverage technology and public-private partnerships to enhance efficiency and financial sustainability.
The Minister emphasised the importance of system integrity in public institutions, highlighting its role in driving good leadership, ethical conduct, and revenue generation.
According to Monday’s statement, Oyetola stated this in Abuja during a retreat themed ‘The Art and Practice of System Integrity in Public Institutions’, organised by NIWA in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Fatima Mahmood, stressed that system integrity is crucial for NIWA’s success, enabling the authority to fulfil its mandate and contribute to Nigeria’s Blue Economy agenda.
Oyetola further outlined key areas for improvement, including revenue generation, transparency, and accountability. He urged NIWA to leverage technology and “public-private partnerships to enhance efficiency and financial sustainability”.
“System integrity is not a moral luxury; it is an economic necessity,” stated Oyetola, who called on the management and board of NIWA to prioritise financial sustainability and drive innovation in revenue generation.
The Minister observed that the partnership with ICPC aligns with the Federal Government’s preventive approach to combating corruption, adding that ethical leadership and transparent revenue systems are critical to harnessing the full economic potential of Nigeria’s inland waterways.
Earlier, the Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Umar Girei, said the retreat aims to strengthen NIWA’s systems and processes, promoting a culture of transparency, accountability, and performance-driven leadership.
Girei emphasised the agency’s commitment to institutional reforms, effective revenue generation, and zero tolerance for corrupt practices.
Also speaking, the Chairman of ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to support public institutions through preventive mechanisms, capacity building, and integrity-driven initiatives.
