BLUE ECONOMY: NIWA Embarks On Waterways Clean Up

As Initiative Targets  Transforming Nigeria’s Blue Economy

Nigeria’s Blue Economy Potentials is steadily unfolding as efforts aimed at addressing the growing environmental challenges confronting Nigeria’s inland waterways receive attention with a multisectorial indigenous Environmental company, Parts Central Limited gets mandate to provide strategic oversight and implementation support for a comprehensive clean-up initiative designed to restore the nation’s waterways and to enhance their economic potential. The project, initiated during the administration of the immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, represents a major step towards achieving a cleaner, safer, and more investment-friendly inland waterways ecosystem in Nigeria.

The initiative is expected to tackle the persistent problems of waste pollution, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, oil spillage and environmental degradation across Nigeria’s vast inland waterways through a structured and sustainable approach.

The project will deliberately identify major sources of pollution, facilitate systematic waste removal, and promote innovative waste-to-wealth solutions capable of creating employment opportunities for communities situated along the waterways.

Beyond environmental restoration, the project is designed to improve navigational safety by removing obstacles that hinder the smooth movement of vessels and other watercraft. It is also expected to support the conservation of aquatic resources, strengthen the fisheries value chain, and contribute significantly to the realization of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the Marine and Blue Economy sector.

As part of its broader objectives, the initiative seeks to reposition Nigeria’s inland waterways as attractive destinations for local and foreign investment by promoting environmental sustainability and enhancing the overall efficiency of water transportation.

Stakeholders believe that cleaner waterways will stimulate economic activities, encourage tourism, boost commerce, and unlock the enormous untapped potential within the nation’s blue economy.

Managing Director of the PartCentral, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, assured Nigerians that every aspect of the programme would be professionally executed to deliver lasting results. He noted that the initiative marks a historic intervention in the management of Nigeria’s inland waterways and reaffirmed the commitment of the project team to ensuring transparency, sustainability, and measurable environmental impact.

Onifade further called on government agencies, private sector operators, host communities, environmental groups, and all stakeholders within the maritime sector to support the initiative, stressing that collective participation would be crucial to its success.

He expressed confidence that with sustained collaboration, Nigeria would soon witness cleaner, safer, and more productive inland waterways, setting a new benchmark for environmental stewardship and waterway management in the country.

Maritime stakeholders are hopeful that this initiative shall be as impactful as it is vigorously pursued.