Blue Economy
Parts Central Mandated to Drive NIWA-Backed Inland Waterways Clean-Up Initiative
Parts Central Mandated to Drive NIWA-Backed Inland Waterways Clean-Up Initiative
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
An indigenous environmental services firm, Parts Central Limited, has been commissioned to provide strategic oversight and implementation support for a wide-ranging inland waterways clean-up programme designed to restore Nigeria’s degraded waterway corridors and unlock their economic potential.
The initiative was initiated under the immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and represents one of the more structured environmental interventions targeting Nigeria’s inland waterway network in recent years.
The programme is designed to address the persistent challenges of waste pollution, indiscriminate refuse dumping, oil spillage, and broader environmental degradation across the country’s extensive inland waterways. Its operational framework includes the identification of major pollution sources, systematic waste removal, and the promotion of waste-to-wealth solutions intended to generate employment in waterfront communities.
Beyond environmental remediation, the initiative targets improved navigational safety through the clearance of obstructions impeding vessel movement. It also aims to support aquatic resource conservation, strengthen the fisheries value chain, and contribute to the realisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the marine and blue economy sector.
The programme further seeks to reposition Nigeria’s inland waterways as attractive destinations for local and foreign investment by demonstrating a commitment to environmental sustainability and more efficient water transportation management.
Speaking ahead of the project rollout, Parts Central Managing Director Henry Olaoluwa Onifade said every aspect of the programme would be professionally executed to deliver lasting, measurable results. He described the initiative as a historic intervention in the management of Nigeria’s inland waterways and reaffirmed the project team’s commitment to transparency and sustainability.
MD of Parts Central Limited, Mr. Henry Olaoluwa Onifade,
Onifade called on government agencies, private sector operators, host communities, environmental groups, and maritime sector stakeholders to support the effort, noting that collective participation would be central to its success.
Nigeria Watch: What the NIWA Clean-Up Initiative Means for the Inland Waterways Sector
The commissioning of Parts Central to lead this NIWA-backed clean-up programme arrives at a moment when the credibility of Nigeria’s inland waterways governance is under scrutiny. Safety incidents — including the ongoing Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) probe into the River Benue ferry tragedy — have brought renewed attention to the chronic neglect of waterway environments. A structured, multi-stakeholder environmental remediation effort, if properly executed, would represent a meaningful corrective step.
Several dimensions of the initiative deserve close attention from NIWA, NIWA’s supervising ministry, and allied agencies.
The pollution profile of Nigeria’s inland waterways is not uniform. The Niger-Benue confluence system, the Lagos lagoon and creek network under Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) jurisdiction, and the Niger Delta creek systems each present distinct environmental challenges — ranging from artisanal refinery run-off in the Delta to domestic waste accumulation in urban Lagos waterways. Any implementation framework that treats these corridors as a single operational theatre will fall short. Stakeholders will want to see whether Parts Central’s mandate includes geographically tailored strategies for each zone.
The waste-to-wealth dimension of the initiative aligns with a broader policy direction being advanced by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under Minister Adegboyega Oyetola, who has consistently framed environmental restoration as a precondition for blue economy growth. Circular economy models applied to waterway debris — particularly plastics and organic waste — could, if scaled, generate community-level enterprise activity and reduce the burden on government-funded removal operations.
Navigational safety is the dimension with the most immediate commercial relevance. Submerged debris, weed encroachment, and unmarked obstructions remain recurring hazards on commercial inland routes, contributing to the casualty incidents that have drawn public concern.
Systematic clearance, properly coordinated with NIWA’s hydrographic and vessel inspection functions, would directly reduce risk exposure for passenger ferry and cargo barge operators.
The wider investment dimension is longer-term but no less significant. Nigeria’s inland waterways concession framework has shown limited success in attracting sustained private capital, in part because of environmental and infrastructure conditions that deter commercially viable operations. A demonstrably cleaner, better-managed waterway network could improve the risk-return calculus for prospective concessionaires, particularly on trunk routes such as the Niger-Benue corridor and the Lagos-Apapa-Badagry coastal channel.
Environmental programmes in Nigeria’s public maritime agencies have historically been vulnerable to policy discontinuity when administrations change. The new NIWA management will need to demonstrate ownership of this initiative for it to progress beyond its current mandate-stage into full operational deployment.
Coordination with LASWA and any other state’s agencies, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on overlapping coastal waterways, and state environmental protection agencies will be essential.
The announcement, while promising, does not yet indicate whether inter-agency alignment has been formally secured. That alignment — or its absence — will be a key early indicator of the programme’s prospects for success.
Waterways News | waterwaysnews.ng
Hydrography Critical to Maritime Safety, Blue Economy Growth — NHA Boss
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
The Hydrographer of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hydrographic Agency, Rear Admiral Olumide Fadahunsi, has stressed that modern hydrography underpins Nigeria’s maritime safety, ocean governance and environmental protection, warning that the country must move quickly to modernise how it organises, standardises and shares its ocean data if it is to secure its Blue Economy ambitions.
Fadahunsi spoke in Abuja during a press briefing held at the NHA’s headquarters complex ahead of the 2026 World Hydrography Day, observed globally every June 21. He said accurate charts and ocean-data products derived from modern surveys remain indispensable for safe navigation, port development, offshore energy operations, submarine cable and pipeline routing, fisheries management and coastal-resilience planning.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s official commemoration would hold in Lagos, in line with the International Hydrographic Organisation’s global calendar, with a Plenary Session as the centrepiece. The session is expected to draw subject-matter experts, researchers, policymakers, hydrographic authorities, industry partners and development agencies to examine how stronger ocean-data sharing can boost navigation safety, maritime administration and Blue Economy growth across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
The Hydrographer of the Federation, Rear Admiral Olumide Fadahunsi addressing journalists
According to Fadahunsi, the IHO deliberately framed this year’s theme in non-technical language to pull in stakeholders beyond hydrographers and navigation specialists — including policymakers, industry players, academia and the public — even though the underlying focus remains technical.
He linked the theme directly to the global rollout of S-100-based data services, particularly S-101 Electronic Navigational Charts and S-102 Bathymetric Surface products, which support the International Maritime Organisation’s approval of S-100 ECDIS as a recognised standard for international shipping navigation.
Transforming how ocean data is organised and shared, he said, would help reduce navigational risk, support efficient maritime trade and contribute to regional and global efforts to keep sea lanes safe. (punchng)
The Hydrographer of the Federation tied Nigeria’s 2026 observance to broader global frameworks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 on Life Below Water and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), positioning the NHA as an active contributor to global efforts to modernise ocean information systems for shipping, coastal communities and the environment.
He called for continued spotlighting of the agency’s role in implementing modern hydrographic standards and partnering with regional and international bodies on ocean-data governance.
Nigeria Watch
Hydrography rarely makes headlines, but it sits at the foundation of nearly everything Waterways News covers week to week — from safe vessel passage through the Lagos channels to offshore licensing rounds and the viability of new deep sea ports like Lekki, Ibom and Bonny. Outdated or incomplete charts translate directly into grounding risk, costly insurance premiums, and disputes over maritime boundaries and cable routing — all live issues for Nigerian shipowners and terminal operators today.
The push toward S-100-compliant ECDIS standards is not a distant technical footnote; it is a compliance deadline bearing down on Nigerian-flagged vessels and port authorities alike, given the IMO’s adoption timeline for the new charting framework.
For NIMASA and NPA, the NHA’s data-modernisation drive should be read as an infrastructure imperative on par with dredging and channel maintenance — without reliable bathymetric data, even the best-funded port expansion projects remain exposed to operational and safety risk. As Nigeria angles for a larger share of regional blue economy investment, credible, internationally interoperable ocean data may prove as decisive as berth capacity in winning investor confidence.
Lagos Lands €170m EIB Financing to Power Omi Eko Electric Ferry Rollout
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
Lagos State has secured €170 million in financing from EIB Global, the European Investment Bank’s development arm, to fast-track a low-carbon water transport network across the state’s lagoon system.
The facility was signed at a ceremony and site visit hosted by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), marking the first formal collaboration between LASWA and the EIB. Senior officials present included EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS Gautier Mignot, and French Consul General in Lagos Laurent Favier.
The loan, backed by an EU guarantee under the Global Gateway Initiative, forms part of the wider Omi Eko Project. With co-financing from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Commission, total support for the scheme now stands at roughly €410 million, comprising about €300 million in subsidised loans and €60 million in grants, according to Ambassador Mignot.
Under the plan, Lagos is set to build out new ferry piers, upgraded jetties and modern maintenance facilities, alongside a fleet of fully electric vessels designed to cut emissions and improve lagoon water quality. In total, the project will establish 15 structured ferry routes covering 140 kilometres, link 25 upgraded terminals, and deploy 75 electric vessels with capacity for up to 440 passengers each. The state is targeting an increase in water transport’s share of Lagos’s overall mobility mix from under 1 percent today to as much as 8 percent by 2032, in line with its transport master plan.
From L-R: Representative of AFD, Alexander Lorot, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, Vice President, European Investment Bank, Ambroise Fayolle, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, European Union Ambassador, Gautier Mignot during the event in Lagos on Friday.
Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, called the partnership a major milestone and pledged policy consistency, transparency and close collaboration with the EIB to meet international delivery standards. Special Adviser to the Governor on Blue Economy, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, described the signing as a turning point for unlocking the state’s blue economy potential, positioning Omi Eko as a model for international cooperation in the sector.
Fayolle said the investment supports a safer, more efficient and more affordable transport system for Lagos residents while backing green growth and job creation, framing it as a concrete step in EIB’s Global Gateway commitments in West Africa. Mignot added that the project reflects the depth of EU-Nigeria cooperation and said he looked forward to riding electric ferries across the lagoon as connectivity expands further into the ECOWAS region.
Nigeria Watch
For Nigerian maritime stakeholders, Omi Eko is the clearest signal yet that European development finance sees Lagos’s waterways as investable infrastructure rather than informal transport — a status NIWA-regulated inland operators and LASWA have pushed for years to secure.
A Few Things Worth Watching:
First EIB-LASWA deal, not first EU money in Lagos transport. This builds on years of EU and Global Gateway interest in West African connectivity, but it’s the first time EIB has financed LASWA directly — a precedent other state waterway authorities (LASWA’s NIWA counterparts, Rivers, Cross River) will be studying closely for their own port and ferry concession pitches.
Local Content and Shipbuilding Implications: Seventy-five electric vessels is a meaningful order book. Whether Nigerian yards or assemblers get any of that work — versus turnkey importation — will shape how much of the €410 million circulates domestically beyond construction and terminal contracts.
Charging Infrastructure is the Quiet Story: Electric ferries need shore power and charging at 25 terminals. That’s a parallel build-out — grid capacity, embedded generation, or hybrid diesel-backup — that hasn’t been detailed yet and will determine whether “electric” holds up operationally on Lagos’s grid.
Modal Share Target is Ambitious But Plausible: Moving from under 1 percent to 8 percent by 2032 would meaningfully ease Lagos’s notorious road congestion, but it depends on fare affordability, last-mile connections from terminals, and safety record — an area NIWA and LASWA have both faced scrutiny over following recent inland waterway incidents.
Governance and Continuity Risk: EU financing of this scale typically comes with procurement, environmental and reporting conditions. Given Lagos’s history of stalled transport mega-projects, stakeholders will be watching disbursement timelines as closely as the headline figure.
Waterways News reports Nigeria Blue Economy, Maritime Trade and Shipping, Coastal and Inland Waterways News
Lagos Deputy Speaker Throws Weight Behind 8th WISTA Africa Conference
By Samson Onoharigho | Waterways News
The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, has pledged her support for the 8th WISTA Africa Regional Conference and confirmed she will personally attend the continental maritime event, billed to take place in Lagos later this month.
Meranda gave the commitment when she received a delegation of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, led by its President, Dr. Odunayo Ani, during a courtesy visit to her office. The visit formed part of WISTA Nigeria’s pre-conference stakeholder outreach, targeting key institutional and legislative voices ahead of the gathering expected to draw policymakers, maritime regulators, industry operators, development partners, academics and professionals from across Africa.
Ani formally invited the Deputy Speaker and women across Lagos State to participate in the conference, scheduled for June 25 and 26, 2026, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. She said the event, themed “From Policy to Implementation: Women Advancing Africa’s Blue Economy through Sustainable Shipping, Trade and Energy Innovation,” would focus on translating high-level policy commitments into concrete, sector-wide action.
The WISTA Nigeria president underscored Lagos’s pivotal role in Africa’s maritime economy, arguing that the visible participation of women leaders from the state would lend significant weight to ongoing advocacy for broader female representation in maritime decision-making, innovation, and economic governance.
A group photograph of WISTA Nigeria delegation with the Lagos Deputy Speaker, during a courtesy visit last week
“The support and participation of women leaders in Lagos State will enrich discussions and help advance the drive for greater female representation and inclusion across Africa’s maritime and blue economy sectors,” Ani said.
She also called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to mobilise women across the state for the conference, describing it as a rare platform for shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for Africa’s blue economy.
Responding warmly, Meranda commended WISTA Nigeria’s consistent contributions to championing women in the maritime industry and reaffirmed her longstanding relationship with the association. She confirmed her attendance and pledged active support for initiatives geared toward widening women’s participation across the blue economy value chain.
Nigeria Watch
The 8th WISTA Africa Regional Conference arrives at a moment of heightened policy activity in Nigeria’s maritime sector — from ongoing cabotage reform conversations and the CVFF disbursement saga to the broader push to position Nigeria as the hub of Africa’s blue economy. That WISTA Nigeria chose Lagos as the host city is no accident: with the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, the emerging Lekki Deep Seaport complex, and the administrative machinery of NIMASA and the NPA all concentrated in the commercial capital, Lagos remains the operational heartbeat of Nigeria’s shipping industry.
What stands out about this edition is the deliberate legislative buy-in. Securing the endorsement of the Lagos Deputy Speaker is not merely symbolic — it signals an attempt to build bridges between the maritime industry and the lawmaking architecture that ultimately shapes port governance, cabotage enforcement, and blue economy investment policy. For an industry that has long complained of regulatory fragmentation and legislative indifference, that kind of outreach matters.
The conference theme — moving from policy to implementation — also resonates sharply in the Nigerian context. Nigeria has no shortage of blue economy frameworks, maritime masterplans, and gender inclusion commitments on paper. The harder challenge, as industry stakeholders consistently note, is converting those documents into enforceable regulation, funded programmes, and genuine career pathways — particularly for women, who remain significantly underrepresented at the senior levels of Nigerian shipping, port management, and maritime trade.
Port operators, shipowners, freight forwarders and terminal managers attending the June 25–26 conference would do well to engage the implementation-focused sessions closely. The conversations there are likely to feed back into the policy pipeline affecting their operations.
Waterways News | Maritime & Blue Economy Reporting
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