NIWA, Parts Central to Unveil Inland Waterways Clean-up Initiative in Lagos

By Saheed Olatunji, Reporter

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), in collaboration with Parts Central Ltd, has unveiled a pioneering environmental initiative to clean up the nation’s inland waterways.

The event, according to the organisers, will hold on Tuesday, August 18th, 2026, at Big Garden in Lagos.

The initiative—Spynews gathered—will attract senior government officials and private-sector stakeholders across Nigeria’s maritime ecosystem.

The clean up exercise was conceived under the leadership of the immediate past Managing Director of Authority and the APC governorship candidate in Osun State for the Saturday election, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji.

The clean up exercise was conceived under the leadership of the immediate past Managing Director of Authority and the APC governorships candidate in Osun Sate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji.

Designed as a comprehensive environmental reform programme, the project will focus on identifying sources of pollution and the indiscriminate disposal of waste within the inland waterways ecosystem.

The project will deploy structured systems to remove waste and convert it into economic value. This is expected to promote environmental sustainability while creating employment opportunities for communities living along the waterways.

Beyond improving navigability by eliminating debris and pollution-related obstructions, the nationwide initiative is also expected to enhance the conservation of aquatic biodiversity, some of which remains largely undocumented. It will also contribute significantly to the growth of Nigeria’s fisheries economy.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, has consistently emphasised the need to strategically harness the vast potential of Nigeria’s inland waterways beyond transportation. He has positioned them as key drivers of economic diversification under the blue economy framework.

The official unveiling underscores NIWA’s commitment to innovation and sustainable development — a legacy further strengthened during the tenure of Oyebamiji, who is now the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Osun State.

In a joint statement, NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, and Managing Director, Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, said the Lagos unveiling is aimed at briefing stakeholders in Lagos on the benefits of the initiative and seeking their support and buy-in.