FG urges states to invest in water transportation

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has urged state governors to invest heavily in water transportation, including the procurement of boats, as a way to reduce the cost of transportation across the country.

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Mr Oyetola, a former governor of Osun State, made the call on Tuesday while appearing before a joint committee of the House of Representatives on Marine Transport, Ports, Maritime Safety, Education and Administration; Shipping Services; Inland Waterways; and Ocean and Fisheries.

The minister said the federal government had already procured and distributed boats for use on waterways across different parts of the country, but stressed that state governments must also play their part.

“We call on the attention of sub nationals to give attention to other means of transportation. The federal government cannot do it alone. We procured some boats, we distributed some to some states, we are calling on the sub nationals to please invest heavily in our water transportation,” he said.

Mr Oyetola noted that water transportation, if properly managed, would be a cheaper alternative for commuters.

“Not less than two states are connected by water. Water transportation is cheaper, and it’ll definitely be cheaper if it is properly managed. So, I want to appeal through the National Assembly to call on the sub-nationals, the states, to invest in water transportation.”

Nigeria possesses one of the largest networks of inland waterways in Africa, spanning an estimated 10,000 kilometres and linking coastal, riverine, and inland states through rivers such as the Niger, Benue, Cross River, and Ogun, as well as numerous creeks and lagoons.

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Despite this natural advantage, water transportation remains largely underdeveloped and poorly integrated into the country’s broader transport system, leaving road transport overstretched and expensive.

The minister’s call for water transportation comes at a time when rising fuel prices, frequent road accidents, traffic congestion, and the high cost of road maintenance have intensified debates around alternative transport options. Inland water transport offers a cheaper and more energy-efficient means of moving passengers and goods, particularly for states that share waterways or lie along major rivers.

In terms of implementation, water transportation involves the development of passenger and cargo boat services, jetties, terminals, navigational channels, safety infrastructure, and enforcement mechanisms to regulate operations.

While the federal government, through agencies such as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), is constitutionally responsible for regulating and managing inland waterways, state governments play a critical role in providing boats, terminals, last-mile connectivity, and local enforcement.

Many Nigerian states are naturally connected by water. For example, the River Niger links Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, and Bayelsa states, while the River Benue connects Benue, Taraba, and parts of Kogi. Coastal and riverine states such as Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom also share interconnected creeks and lagoons that can support inter-state and intra-state water transport.

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However, these connections remain largely untapped due to weak investment, overlapping regulatory roles, safety concerns, and limited political will at the sub-national level.

Although some states, notably Lagos, have made significant investments in water transport through state-owned ferry services and terminals, most others rely almost entirely on road transport even when waterways run through their territories. This gap has reinforced the federal government’s position that meaningful expansion of water transportation cannot be achieved without strong collaboration from state governments.

Unregulated fishing

Speaking on unregulated fishing, the minister said his ministry is working with the Nigerian Navy to procure more patrol boats to curb illegal and unregulated fishing activities on the nation’s waterways.

He also advocated establishing a coast guard, which he said would help protect Nigeria’s waterways against illegal activities.

“Enforcement is very difficult. We have been talking about the need for a coast guard; it has not been given to us yet. So, how many people can you deploy to all communities? Some of these communities are not even known by NIWA. So, it’s a very tough thing to do.”