Boat operators on the Ikorodu to Lagos Island route are calling on government authorities to compensate them for losses estimated at over N560 million, following the re-opening of the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal five months after it was closed. due to a water hyacinth infestation.
The terminal was shut on October 20, 2025, after heavy water hyacinth growth disrupted navigation and posed risks to boat engines. While the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) initially announced that the terminal would reopen in January 2026, Shipping Position Daily findings show that commercial operations did not fully resume until early February, following gradual clearing and restoration of the waterways.
Mr. Olusoji Mojofodun, Ikorodu Chapter Chairman of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), confirmed that operations restarted in early February, after a partial reopening in late January.
“The water hyacinth is no longer there, though some remnants remain at sea. Operators have been navigating around these patches to avoid damage to boat propellers,” Mojofodun explained. “The terminal is now fully operational for both LASWA and private operators.”
LASWA also confirmed the development. A representative, Nkechi Ajayi, told Shipping Position Daily that, “it is fully opened now and its operational.”
Despite the reopening, operators maintain that the extended closure caused significant financial losses. Before the shutdown, passengers paid N3,000 from Ikorodu to the Island and N2,500 for return trips, with each boat carrying an average of 17 passengers per trip. On busy days, boats made up to two trips, generating roughly N187,000 per day per boat.
With operations halted for several months and only recently stabilizing, cumulative losses across operators have been estimated at over N560 million.
Chief Raymond Gold, President of the Waterways Association of Boat Operators and Transporters of Nigeria (WABOTAN), said the shutdown severely affected operators’ earnings. He called on the government to provide compensation or support to help them recover financially.
“Operators have invested heavily in this business and provided employment while facilitating mobility between Ikorodu and the Island. Government should consider ways to compensate them, whether financially or through other support initiatives,” Gold said, noting that ongoing restoration efforts by authorities should be complemented by measures to offset the losses suffered.
