Blue Economy
LAGOS WATERWAYS: State Unveils Lekki Water Taxi, Targets Two Million Monthly Passengers
LAGOS WATERWAYS: State Unveils Lekki Water Taxi, Targets Two Million Monthly Passengers
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Correspondent,
Lagos, May 13, 2026
Introduction of High-Speed Corridor Service Anchors Sanwo-Olu’s Third-Year Transport Reform Record
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation has unveiled an ambitious 2026 waterways expansion programme anchored by the introduction of a dedicated Lekki Water Taxi initiative, signalling a decisive push to transform the state’s inland water transport from a supplementary option into a mainstream urban mobility solution.
The disclosure came at the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held to mark the third year of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office, where the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, outlined the administration’s scorecard on multimodal transport and presented a forward-looking agenda for the remainder of the year.
Lekki Water Taxi: What Is Being Proposed
The Lekki Water Taxi initiative is designed to introduce dedicated high-speed water taxi services along key waterway corridors within the Lekki axis — one of Lagos’s fastest-growing residential and commercial districts. The corridor, which connects densely populated communities along the Lekki Peninsula to the Lagos Island business hub, is among the most traffic-congested routes in the metropolis, making it a strategic priority for waterway intervention.
Although specific vessel specifications and terminal locations were not disclosed at the briefing, the initiative is understood to be part of a broader effort to provide scheduled, point-to-point water transport services as a credible alternative to road travel — particularly for commuters navigating the chronic gridlock that defines the Lekki-Victoria Island corridor during peak hours.
The water taxi model, when fully operationalised, is expected to significantly cut commute times for residents travelling between Lekki Phases 1 and 2, Ajah, and the commercial centres of Victoria Island and Lagos Island. Industry observers note that a well-managed water taxi service on this route could serve as a proof-of-concept for replicating the model on other high-density waterway corridors across the state.
Near Two Million Monthly Passengers on Lagos Waterways
Commissioner Osiyemi disclosed that Lagos waterways are now serving close to two million passengers monthly — a milestone that underscores both the growing public appetite for water transport and the cumulative impact of infrastructure investments made under the current administration.
The figure represents a substantial increase from earlier ridership benchmarks, with the Lagos Ferry Services Corporation (LAGFERRY) having previously recorded an average daily throughput of 2,000 passengers in 2025. The aggregation of LAGFERRY operations, private ferry operators licensed under the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), and emerging water taxi services has collectively pushed monthly usage toward the two-million mark.
The Commissioner attributed the growth to a combination of expanded route coverage, improved safety standards, and sustained public confidence in water transport following the introduction of mandatory life jacket distribution at ferry terminals across the state.
Cowry Card Integration: Linking Water to Rail and Road
A significant element of the 2026 waterways agenda is the planned integration of ferry and water taxi services into the state’s unified Cowry Card payment ecosystem. The contactless smart card, which already interconnects Lagos Rail Mass Transit’s Blue Line and Red Line services with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fleet, is set to be extended to cover ferry terminals — enabling commuters to use a single payment instrument across all three transport modes.
The integration is considered a crucial step toward seamless intermodal mobility in a city where many commuters combine bus, rail, and water transport within a single journey. For maritime operators and terminal managers, the Cowry Card rollout will also generate real-time ridership data that can improve scheduling and fleet deployment decisions.
OMI-EKO Electric Ferry and the Green Transition
Alongside the Lekki Water Taxi, the ministry highlighted the OMI-EKO electric ferry initiative as a cornerstone of its sustainability agenda. The programme, which introduces zero-emission electric vessels into the Lagos waterways fleet, reflects a deliberate alignment between the state’s transport expansion goals and broader environmental commitments.
The push toward electric ferries and cleaner propulsion technologies positions Lagos as an early mover on green maritime transition among Nigerian states, and mirrors global trends in urban waterway transport where cities such as Oslo, Amsterdam, and San Francisco have pioneered electric ferry deployment. For LASWA and maritime regulators, the OMI-EKO programme will also test the operational and maintenance infrastructure needed to support electric vessel fleets at scale within a West African urban context.
Safety Campaigns and Life Jacket Distribution
The ministry also reported sustained progress on water transport safety, with widespread life jacket distribution at ferry terminals forming the centrepiece of ongoing safety campaigns. Nigeria’s inland waterways have historically recorded preventable fatalities attributable to the absence of personal flotation devices, making the distribution programme both a regulatory and humanitarian priority.
The safety drive complements the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the National Maritime Safety Administration’s (NIMASA’s) own vessel safety inspection mandates, and will be critical to building the passenger trust required to sustain the ridership growth trajectory the state is targeting.
Modernisation of Ferry Terminals
Commissioner Osiyemi confirmed that ferry terminal modernisation remains a priority for 2026, with upgrades planned to improve passenger processing capacity, berthing facilities, and real-time scheduling displays at major terminals. While specific terminal locations undergoing upgrades were not itemised at the briefing, the modernisation drive is expected to address longstanding infrastructure gaps that have historically undermined service reliability.
Improved terminals will also support the planned integration of the water taxi service, which will require dedicated berthing infrastructure distinct from standard ferry operations.
Technology Upgrades Across the Transport Ecosystem
Beyond waterways specifically, the Commissioner highlighted technology-driven efficiency gains across the broader transport network. These include the E-Call Up system for truck scheduling — a digital queuing platform aimed at reducing congestion at port access roads — and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras deployed at strategic intersections to improve traffic enforcement and flow.
These upgrades, while road-focused, have direct relevance to port logistics and maritime trade facilitation, as smoother truck movement between the Apapa and Tin Can Island port complexes and the wider Lagos road network reduces dwell time and lowers cargo handling costs for importers and exporters.
Nigeria Watch: What the Lekki Water Taxi Means for the Blue Economy
The announcement of the Lekki Water Taxi initiative is more than a Lagos transport story — it is a bellwether moment for Nigeria’s inland and urban waterway economy.
With Lagos Harbour and the surrounding waterways sitting at the intersection of the country’s busiest cargo port complex and its most populous urban agglomeration, the commercialisation of water taxi services represents a tangible extension of the blue economy concept into everyday urban life. It signals to federal policymakers, private investors, and development finance institutions that Nigerian waterways can generate sustained commercial revenue beyond cargo transit and industrial use.
For the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Lagos model — if it delivers on ridership and safety targets — offers a replicable template for other coastal and riverine states including Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom, where inland waterway potential remains largely untapped.
NIWA, which holds the federal mandate for inland waterway development and route licensing, will be watching the Lekki corridor closely. A successful water taxi operation on a high-density urban route could strengthen the case for accelerating private sector participation in waterway transport under NIWA’s licensing framework, and provide evidence to justify increased capital allocation to jetty and channel maintenance.
For NIMASA, the expansion of passenger vessel operations in a major urban market reinforces the need for robust vessel safety certification standards and crew competency requirements specifically calibrated for high-frequency, short-haul urban ferry and water taxi operations — a regulatory sub-segment that has historically received less attention than deep-sea and offshore shipping.
The roll-out of the Cowry Card across water transport is also worth monitoring from a fintech and maritime logistics perspective. Digital ticketing and payment systems, when properly integrated, generate the transaction data and commercial discipline necessary to attract institutional investment into waterway infrastructure — a funding gap that has constrained development across Nigeria’s inland waterway network for decades.
Ultimately, Lagos is betting that the water is the road. If the Lekki Water Taxi launches on schedule and meets its ridership projections, it will mark a watershed in Nigerian urban maritime history.
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$200m Fish Lifeline: FG Taps World Bank Funds to Push States Towards Fish Sufficiency
Oyetola Sets Sights on Net Exporter Status as FG Secures $200m World Bank Backing for State-Led Aquaculture
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
The Federal Government says it has secured a $200 million commitment from the World Bank Group to drive fisheries and aquaculture production nationwide, as it moves to cut fish imports and close a supply gap of more than 2.2 million tonnes.
The money will be lent to state governments on concessional terms. It is meant to help them expand fish production, attract investment and build viable aquaculture projects.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, announced this at an Executive Training on the Aquaculture Investment Guide, organised by his ministry with the World Bank Group in Abuja. He was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Professor Busayo Fakinlede.
Oyetola said fish is central to food security, household nutrition and rural livelihoods, and that Nigeria cannot be food secure while importing most of its fish. He said the goal is to “produce more, import less” and eventually become a net exporter, which he said requires every state to play its part.
The numbers
Nigeria needs about 3.6 million tonnes of fish a year but produces roughly 1.4 million tonnes. Imports cover the gap and cost nearly $1 billion annually in foreign exchange.
State-driven framework
Under the ministry’s framework, each state is expected to:
identify priority aquaculture value chains
assess investment readiness
develop bankable project pipelines
commit to measurable contributions to national fish output
The training brought together commissioners from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River States, plus permanent secretaries and directors of fisheries and aquaculture from across the federation. It covered business models, risk management, environmental and social safeguards, and public-private partnerships.
A Federal-State interface is also planned to coordinate a national fish security strategy.
Oyetola commended the World Bank for its support on analytical studies, cluster-based development, capacity building and the Aquaculture Investment Guide. He will oversee a post-training stakeholders’ roundtable with states and other stakeholders to sustain momentum.
Ministry’s scorecard
Fakinlede credited the minister’s leadership for:
the August 2026 inauguration of the Technical Committee on Accelerating Fish Production
digitisation of fish import licensing
a rise in national output from 1.1 million to 1.4 million tonnes
US shrimp-export certification after compliance with Turtle Excluder Device requirements
the Fish City and Fish Terminal investment portfolio to attract private capital
NIGERIA WATCH
Read the fine print. As of 9 November, I could not find a published World Bank project document for the $200 million, and the figure rests on the ministry’s statement. The repayment period, interest rate, per-state allocation and disbursement date have not been made public, and it is unclear whether this is new money or part of financing already agreed. Waterways News should press the ministry on these before treating the figure as settled.
Loans, not grants. States carry the debt and must show bankable projects. Strong states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River, whose commissioners attended, sit on the water and are best placed to benefit. Inland and riverine communities lacking project-preparation capacity risk being left behind.
The missing small operators. The framework speaks of investors, PPPs and bankable pipelines. It says little about artisanal fishers, boat operators and fishing communities, including those represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, who supply and move much of the country’s fish. Without cold chains, landing jetties, safe water transport and affordable engines, higher production will not reach markets.
Policy versus delivery. The target is ambitious, with output reportedly up from 1.1 million to 1.4 million tonnes. Yet Nigeria still meets under 40 per cent of its fish demand, and it has heard similar promises before, from the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund onward. The test is whether the roundtable produces dates, allocations and measurable state commitments.
Blue Economy
Oyetola Takes Nigeria’s Case on Gulf of Guinea Security and Seafarer Welfare to IMO Council in London
Oyetola Takes Nigeria’s Case on Gulf of Guinea Security and Seafarer Welfare to IMO Council in London
Minister says seafarers must not become casualties of geopolitical disputes as Nigeria presses for stronger technical support for developing maritime nations
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, has restated the country’s commitment to safe, secure and sustainable international shipping. He is leading a high-level delegation to the 138th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council in London.
The five-day session opened on November 2 at the IMO headquarters and ends today, November 6, 2026. Nigeria’s participation is meant to strengthen its voice in global maritime governance and to advance the interests of developing maritime nations.
Nigeria sits on the 40-member Council under Category C. The session is considering the protection of vital shipping routes, the welfare and safety of seafarers, institutional governance and the sustainability of the global maritime industry.
Protecting vital shipping lanes
A central issue is the protection of strategic shipping routes against growing security threats and attacks on commercial vessels in high-risk zones. Under Agenda Item 11, “Protection of Vital Shipping Lanes,” Nigeria is expected to draw on its experience combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea to push for stronger international cooperation and coordinated security responses.
“Nigeria recognises that the challenges confronting the global maritime industry require collective action, stronger international cooperation and effective regulatory frameworks,” Oyetola said. He added that Nigeria was at the Council to see its interests represented and to contribute to solutions that strengthen maritime security, protect seafarers and promote sustainable shipping.
He said the progress made in the Gulf of Guinea showed that maritime insecurity can be tackled “through political commitment, effective coordination and cooperation among regional and international partners.”
Seafarer welfare
Seafarer welfare is also high on the agenda. This follows IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez’s condemnation of the use of seafarers as pawns in geopolitical disputes. Nigeria is backing measures to prevent the arbitrary detention and abandonment of seafarers, and to ensure their fair treatment, safe repatriation and mental well-being.
“Seafarers are the lifeblood of international shipping,” Oyetola said. “Their safety, dignity and welfare must never be compromised by geopolitical tensions.”
Budget and capacity building
The Council is also reviewing financial allocations for the 2026–2027 biennium and strategic priorities for 2028–2029. Nigeria sees this as an opening to push for more technical cooperation and capacity-building support for developing maritime countries.
Oyetola said developing maritime nations “must have access to the technical expertise, institutional support and investment opportunities required to participate meaningfully in the evolving global shipping industry.”
The delegation
The minister is accompanied by:
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola
The Director of Maritime Services, Mr. Oyinloye Meshack
Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative at the IMO, Mr. William Bwala
Nigeria Watch
A heavy session. The Council has dealt with more than Nigeria’s agenda this week. Other delegations have also pressed seafarer protection and freedom of navigation, with Liberia and Indonesia among the countries that raised them. The session has also given attention to security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea. On Wednesday, the Council recommended a second four-year term for Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, running from 2028 to 2031. The IMO Assembly must still approve it in 2027. Nigeria’s message on the Gulf of Guinea has been delivered in a crowded room.
Hormuz is a Nigerian issue. This newsroom has followed the Strait of Hormuz crisis closely, from rising freight rates to war-risk insurance premiums at Nigerian ports. Oyetola’s call to shield seafarers from geopolitical tension is not abstract. Dominguez has said thousands of seafarers in the region live and work under heightened risk, and the IMO’s tally of seafarers killed in the region since February stood at 24 as of November 5.
Where the Gulf of Guinea story stands. Nigeria is presenting its Gulf of Guinea record as a model, and the Deep Blue Project is the backbone of that claim. NIMASA has just showcased upgraded assets at AFRIDEX 2026. Delegates in London will weigh the narrative against what stakeholders at home actually experience on the water.
The home test. Nigeria’s arguments at the IMO for seafarer dignity, fair treatment and capacity-building support will carry weight in proportion to how well they are matched at home.
Questions that Waterways News continues to raise:
Do Nigerian seafarers and inland waterway workers enjoy the safety and welfare standards the minister is championing abroad?
Will the technical cooperation Nigeria is seeking reach small-scale and informal waterway operators, such as those under WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, or stay at the policy level?
With Nigeria holding a Council seat, how will diplomatic wins in London be turned into delivery at home, from CVFF disbursement to NPERA implementation?
Waterways News will keep tracking the outcome of the 138th Council session and what it means for Nigerian maritime stakeholders.
Blue Economy
NIWA Deploys Enforcers to Niger Waterfronts as Boat Operators Cry Out Over Life Jacket Shortage
NIWA Deploys Enforcers to Niger Waterfronts as Boat Operators Cry Out Over Life Jacket Shortage
Operators say a 300-seater has only seven jackets, and ask for prices to drop from N20,000 to as low as N5,000
By Raymond Gold | Waterways News
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has sent enforcement personnel to waterfronts across Niger State to make life jacket use compulsory and ensure compliance with inland waterways safety rules.
NIWA’s Minna Area Manager, Akapo Adeboye, announced this at the 2026 Sensitisation and Enlightenment Campaign on Inland Waterways Regulations at Zumba Waterfront, Shiroro Local Government Area. The campaign theme was “Total Safety Measures and Compliance on the Nation’s Inland Waterways.”
Adeboye said NIWA has given 3,500 life jackets to boat operators at waterfronts across the state. He was troubled, however, that some operators neither wear the jackets nor provide them for passengers during trips.
He also condemned operators who charge passengers extra to use a life jacket, saying this discourages compliance. He said the safety of lives and property remains a priority of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and that operators and passengers alike must wear life jackets before boarding. Violators, he warned, will face the full weight of the law.
Some operators at the event said scarcity and cost make full compliance impossible.
Adamu Gunduma said his boat carries 300 passengers but he has seven life jackets, one of them for himself. The other six go to passengers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Adamu Tanko said his 150-passenger boat has three life jackets.
Saidu Sani said his 40-passenger boat has none, for himself or his passengers.
Abubakar Mamman-Kwanu appealed to government and other stakeholders for more jackets through donations and support programmes.
The operators said a life jacket costs about N20,000 on the market and asked authorities to bring the price down to between N5,000 and N6,000. They added that high prices and falling farm-produce prices could keep many farmers from buying one. Farmers, they said, make up a large share of water transport users in the area. They called for stronger government intervention, arguing that easier access to life jackets would improve compliance and prevent avoidable deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) first reported the development on Monday.
Nigeria Watch
Enforcement is arriving before supply. Gunduma, Tanko and Sani together operate boats licensed for 490 passengers, yet they reported 10 life jackets between them. Telling such operators to refuse boarding without a jacket is, for now, an order they cannot obey. Cheap jackets must reach waterfronts before penalties are enforced, or enforcement will fall hardest on the poorest operators.
NIWA has also faced a misuse problem. Adeboye said in an earlier interview that people sell the jackets, use them as pillows or farm tools. He said that when his team revisited a waterfront after a 3,500-jacket flag-off, they could not find one in use. Both complaints can be true at once, and the way out is a mix of local ownership, fitting by boat capacity and visible checks by marshals.
The stakes are real and well documented. After a July 2025 mishap at Zumba, Adeboye said 26 passengers wearing life jackets were rescued alive, 15 bodies were recovered and three people were missing. He noted that the incident came eight days after a NIWA sensitization campaign at the same waterfront.
Marshals and penalties are already in place. Waterways marshals were inaugurated at Zumba to enforce transport regulations. Adeboye has also said NIWA gazetted penalty codes for operators and passengers who fail to comply. The open question is whether operators get realistic access to compliance before sanctions bite.
Questions for NIWA and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy:
How many jackets are needed to cover the licensed capacity of boats at Niger waterfronts, against the 3,500 supplied?
Can bulk procurement or local assembly bring the N20,000 price down?
Will NIWA publish compliance figures and sanctions issued after the campaign?
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