By Joshua Yousouph
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), in collaboration with Parts Central Limited, is set to unveil a major inland waterways clean-up initiative aimed at tackling pollution, creating jobs and unlocking new opportunities within Nigeria’s blue economy.
The initiative will be officially unveiled on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Bic Garden, Lagos, with government officials and stakeholders across the maritime and blue economy sectors expected to attend.
Conceived under the leadership of the immediate past Managing Director of NIWA, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, the project is designed as a comprehensive environmental reform programme focused on identifying sources of pollution and curbing the indiscriminate disposal of waste across Nigeria’s inland waterways.
Under the initiative, structured systems will be deployed for the collection and removal of waste from waterways, with emphasis on converting recovered waste into economic value. The organisers said the approach is expected to promote environmental sustainability while creating employment opportunities for communities located along the waterways.
Beyond environmental sanitation, the initiative is also expected to improve the navigability of inland waterways by removing debris and other pollution-related obstructions that impede safe and efficient movement on the waterways.
The project is further expected to contribute to the conservation of aquatic biodiversity, including species that remain largely undocumented, while supporting the development and expansion of Nigeria’s fisheries economy.
The initiative aligns with the broader vision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who has consistently advocated the strategic utilisation of Nigeria’s vast inland waterways beyond their traditional role in transportation.
Oyetola has positioned inland waterways as an important component of Nigeria’s blue economy strategy, with the potential to contribute to economic diversification, environmental sustainability and employment generation.
The Lagos unveiling is expected to provide stakeholders with detailed insight into the initiative and its potential benefits, while also securing their support and participation in its implementation across the country.
In a joint statement, NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, and Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, said the engagement would serve as an opportunity to brief stakeholders on the objectives and benefits of the programme and secure their buy-in.
According to them, stakeholder participation would be critical to the success and sustainability of the initiative, particularly given the scale of activities required to address pollution and waste management challenges across Nigeria’s inland waterways.
The organisers said the project represents a significant step towards strengthening environmental sustainability within the waterways sector while ensuring that waste management is transformed into an avenue for economic value creation and job generation.
The initiative also builds on efforts made during Oyebamiji’s tenure at NIWA to promote innovation and sustainable development within the inland waterways sector. Oyebamiji is currently the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State.
With the formal unveiling in Lagos, NIWA and Parts Central Limited are expected to commence broader stakeholder engagement towards implementing the initiative and expanding its impact across Nigeria’s inland waterways.
