A coalition of indigenous maritime tourism and transportation investors has pledged to unlock strategic investment opportunities to develop Nigeria’s vast but largely untapped maritime tourism economy, for the benefit of littoral communities in Lagos and across the country.
The chairman of the group, Allied Concessionaires and Blue Economy Alliance, Bolaji Olasade, made the comment during a courtesy visit to the Lagos Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Engineer Sarat Braimah.
Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the coalition, Bolaji Olasade, explained that the alliance comprises reputable and experienced maritime tourism and transportation operators committed to redefining waterfront recreation and hospitality by integrating safe and efficient water transport systems.
“We came to formally introduce our coalition, which is not a conventional association but a consortium of credible and proven operators, mostly concessionaires, who are willing and ready to collaborate with NIWA to grow and develop inland waterways tourism infrastructure. We are also focused on opening up littoral communities through destination marketing and the promotion of resorts,” Olasade stated.
The Secretary of the coalition, Barrister Dorcas Aderemi, stressed that Nigeria’s marine and blue economy sector can only thrive when the inland waterways ecosystem is strategically aligned to attract sustainable investment and funding.
“The Nigerian marine and blue economy sector can only thrive when the inland waterways ecosystem is strategically aligned for sustainable investment and funding,” she said, calling for a structured public-private partnership model between the private sector and NIWA to accelerate development and enhance inland waterways utilisation.
The group commended Engineer Braimah for her leadership and commitment to industry growth, particularly her zero-tolerance stance on boat transportation accidents and security breaches on inland waterways in Lagos.
In her response, Engineer Braimah welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation for their interest in partnering with NIWA.
“We are pleased to receive you and have listened carefully to your intentions to collaborate with us. We recognise that NIWA cannot achieve its mandate alone without the private sector, especially serious investors with genuine financial commitments to the industry. We will communicate your proposals to our headquarters in Abuja to explore how your group can leverage existing opportunities,” she said.
She further highlighted the need to modernise inland water transport by introducing new boats and ferries to enhance safety, efficiency and value across the waterways transportation and hospitality sectors.