The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has ordered waterfront owners, tank farm operators and boat operators to stop dumping waste into the nation’s inland waterways, warning that the practice is threatening navigation, aquatic life and the development of Nigeria’s blue economy.
NIWA gave the warning in Lagos during the launch of a nationwide inland waterways clean-up initiative in partnership with Parts Central Limited.
Speaking at the event, the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engineer Sarat Braimah, said the authority would provide the necessary regulatory support to ensure the success of the initiative, stressing that keeping the waterways clean was critical to safe navigation and economic development.
Braimah said Lagos was strategically important to the initiative because of its extensive waterways and its contribution to Nigeria’s economy.
“We are unveiling Parts Central as a partner to National Inland Waterways Authority. And what they are supposed to do is to help us in making sure that the Inland Waterways of Nigeria is clean and safe for navigation,” she said.
According to her, the initiative would commence in Lagos before being extended to other parts of the country.
“You will all agree with me that Lagos State is the heart of Nigeria, and anything that wants to be done nationwide has to start in Lagos. We have to make sure that it works well before we translate such to other states,” she said.
She noted that about one-third of Lagos State was covered by water, stressing that the state’s economy was closely linked to its waterways.
“You will also agree with me that one third of Lagos State is covered by water. The economy of this state depends solely on water and we are talking about blue economy. So how do we make this work? Making it work starts from making it clean,” Braimah said.
The NIWA official said clean waterways would improve navigation, create employment opportunities and support the livelihoods of communities dependent on the water.
“If the water is clean, navigation will be easier. If the water is clean, it will create jobs for even our youth,” she said.
Braimah, however, expressed concern over the activities of waterfront owners, dredgers, boat operators and tank farm operators, accusing some of them of contributing significantly to the pollution of the waterways.
“It is so important that the waterfront owners, dredgers and boat operators comply. Most of the waste in our waterways are generated by these people,” she said.
She particularly condemned the practice of discharging domestic and industrial waste directly into the waterways.
“Waterfront owners don’t even see reason to have a soak away. They believe our water should take it away. This is wrong practice. We want to stop this,” she said.
Braimah also singled out tank farm operators around the Kirikiri axis for criticism, alleging that waste discharged from the area had contributed significantly to the pollution of the waterways.
“If you go to Kirikiri, our tank farm owners empty their waste in our waters. That is why that stretch of inland waterways is the dirtiest in Nigeria,” she alleged.
She said the level of pollution had also affected aquatic life, including fish, while making Nigerian waterways visibly different from those in other countries.
“If you go to saner climes, you will see that their water is blue. But here in Lagos, our waterways is blackish. It’s because of waste dumping, and this is seriously affecting our inland waterways. Even the fish, everything is being affected,” Braimah said.
She urged fishermen, boat operators and other stakeholders to cooperate with NIWA and Parts Central Limited, while calling on dredgers to put measures in place to prevent contaminated water and dredging-related waste from entering the waterways.
“Dump your plastic waste properly. This plastic waste can be recycled. It can be used economically to generate something for this nation,” she said.
Braimah added, “If you are dredging, create a bar that will take off your water.”
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, said the company would deploy waste-management facilities and technology across jetties and waterways as part of efforts to improve sanitation.
Onifade disclosed that all jetties and passenger boats would be provided with appropriate refuse bins to ensure that waste generated during operations was properly collected and disposed of.
“We are deploying different types of technology that will capture every area and every waterfront. Landing pods and facilities will provide and make sure that every boat on Nigerian or any watercraft on Nigerian inland waterways will have a new and passenger-approved waste bin,” he said.
He added that every jetty would have a central waste collection facility where operators could dispose of refuse after docking.
“Every jetty will have a mother bin where you will offload your waste when you are docking. These are many more. Parts of our mandate will be shared around,” Onifade stated.
The initiative is expected to cover various waterways and waterfront communities, with NIWA providing regulatory oversight while Parts Central deploys waste collection infrastructure and other technologies to support the clean-up exercise.
