By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria is set to witness a major environmental and economic transformation as a comprehensive inland waterways clean-up initiative backed by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) takes shape to address pollution and unlock opportunities within the country’s blue economy.
The project, which was initiated during the tenure of the immediate past Managing Director of NIWA, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, has mandated indigenous environmental firm, Parts Central Limited, to provide strategic oversight and implementation support for the nationwide exercise.
The initiative is aimed at tackling persistent environmental challenges affecting Nigeria’s inland waterways, including waste pollution, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, oil spills, and other forms of environmental degradation.
According to project stakeholders, the programme will adopt a structured and sustainable approach to restoring waterways by identifying major sources of pollution, facilitating systematic waste removal, and promoting waste-to-wealth solutions capable of generating employment opportunities for communities located along river corridors.
The clean-up exercise is also expected to enhance navigational safety by removing debris and other obstacles that impede the movement of vessels and watercraft across inland waterways.
In addition, the project is designed to support the conservation of aquatic resources, strengthen the fisheries value chain, and contribute to the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the Marine and Blue Economy sector.
Stakeholders say the initiative will further reposition Nigeria’s inland waterways as viable destinations for local and foreign investment through improved environmental sustainability and greater efficiency in water transportation.
They expressed optimism that cleaner waterways would stimulate tourism, expand commercial activities, encourage trade, and unlock the vast economic potential embedded in the country’s inland water transport system.
Speaking ahead of the project’s rollout, Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, assured Nigerians that the programme would be professionally executed to achieve sustainable and measurable results.
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He described the initiative as a landmark intervention in the management of Nigeria’s inland waterways, stressing the commitment of the project team to transparency, sustainability, and environmental impact.
Onifade also called on government agencies, private sector operators, host communities, environmental organisations, and other maritime stakeholders to support the initiative, noting that broad-based collaboration would be critical to its success.
He expressed confidence that sustained cooperation among stakeholders would lead to cleaner, safer, and more productive inland waterways, while setting a new standard for environmental stewardship and waterway management in Nigeria.
