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Nigeria is looking to draw on Bangladesh’s extensive experience in inland water transportation as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) explores a bilateral partnership with the Asian country to unlock the economic potential of its estimated 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways.
The proposed collaboration is expected to focus on technical knowledge exchange, dredging and channel maintenance, boat construction, marine equipment manufacturing, infrastructure development and investment opportunities aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s inland water transportation system.
The initiative emerged during a courtesy visit by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Nigeria, His Excellency Miah Mohammad Mainul Kabir, to NIWA’s management at its liaison office in Abuja.
Receiving the delegation, NIWA’s Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Malam Umar Yusuf Girei, described the engagement as a significant opportunity to establish stronger institutional relations between both countries, particularly given their shared characteristics as riverine nations with substantial inland waterways resources.
Girei highlighted Bangladesh’s remarkable utilisation of its approximately 24,000 kilometres of waterways, which reportedly account for more than 25 per cent of the country’s passenger transportation and facilitate the movement of millions of tonnes of cargo.
He contrasted this with Nigeria’s estimated 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways, with the River Niger and River Benue serving as major transportation corridors providing navigable access to about 28 of the country’s 36 states.
According to him, Bangladesh’s experience in integrating inland waterways into its national transportation and economic development framework offers valuable lessons for Nigeria, particularly as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to diversify transportation infrastructure and harness the economic opportunities within the blue economy.
The NIWA chief identified dredging, channel maintenance and strategies for sustaining year-round navigability as priority areas for collaboration.
He also highlighted opportunities for knowledge exchange in the development and management of river ports, jetties and passenger ferry systems, stressing the importance of strengthening technical capacity and operational efficiency across the sector.
Responding, the Bangladesh High Commissioner expressed appreciation to NIWA’s management for the reception, describing the engagement as an opportunity to build a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.
Kabir identified dredging, boat construction, marine equipment manufacturing and human capital development through specialised training and retraining programmes as critical areas where Bangladesh could deploy its technical expertise and industry experience to support Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that closer cooperation would enable both countries to share practical solutions, strengthen institutional capabilities and accelerate the development of inland water transportation.
Both parties expressed confidence that the engagement would progress beyond diplomatic discussions into concrete programmes and sustainable institutional partnerships capable of improving inland water transportation, facilitating trade and stimulating economic development in Nigeria and Bangladesh.
For Nigeria, where thousands of kilometres of waterways remain underutilised despite their potential to connect communities, facilitate cargo movement and reduce pressure on road infrastructure, the proposed partnership presents an opportunity to learn from a country that has made inland water transportation an integral part of its national mobility system.
