River transportation is a critical public good for socio-economic connectivity in riverine regions of developing nations. In The Gambia, particularly the Central River Region (CRR), it facilitates trade, access to services, and regional integration. However, the sector is plagued by persistent operational, safety, and infrastructural challenges. This study argues these are symptoms of systemic governance failures. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design with 300 respondents. These include: service users, operators, and public officials. The research diagnoses the core administrative pathologies. Findings reveal a synergistic system of fragmented regulatory oversight, deficient public financial management, pervasive corruption, and poor inter-agency coordination. The study concludes that technical interventions alone are insufficient without holistic public administration reform. It proposes an integrated reform framework centered on establishing a dedicated inland waterways authority, implementing transparent ring-fenced funding, institutionalizing robust accountability mechanisms, and fostering formalized community co-management. This framework offers a replicable model for addressing governance deficits in essential public services across data-scarce, river-dependent regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
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