By Innocent Orok
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has intensified its annual clearance of water hyacinth across the country , beginning from Ikpakodo in Ikorodu, Lagos State inland waterways.
During a monitoring visit to the Ipakodo Jetty , Ikorodu in Lagos State, Area Manager of NIWA, Lagos, Engr. Sarat Braimah, described the clearance exercise as a critical safety intervention rather than a routine clean-up.
She informed that NIWA has started the clearance of the water hyacinth across the country, beginning from Lagos, which post as a menace to navigable routes along inland waterways around the Country.
According to her, “this effort is not just for beautification; it’s about safety. If we allow boats to navigate through this invasive weed, their engines will be damaged, and water users will face serious risks,” the NIWA Lagos Area boss said.
Engr. Braimah said , the water hyacinth, a fast-spreading aquatic weed is native from the Amazon Basin in South America, but found its way into Nigerian waters through ballast water discharged from ships since the 1980s; “now it reappears seasonally between July and December choking waterways, obstructing boats, and impacting fisheries and local livelihoods.”
She further explained that NIWA’s operations are part of Federal government intervention aimed at ensuring safe navigation and sustaining inland water transportation. “It’s a way of giving back to boat operators and commuters who depend on these waterways daily,” she said.
The NIWA Lagos Area office , has recently deployed heavy-duty machinery, including a “Swamp Devil,” which cuts through dense vegetation to clear navigation channels and restore safe passage for ferries and cargo boats.
Beyond Lagos, the clearance campaign will extend to Bayelsa, Niger Delta, and other NIWA area offices as the agency tracks the weed’s movement through river currents. “We are monitoring the flow — as the weed moves, our team move with it,” Braimah explained.
On how the removed water hyacinth can be put to useful products, Braimah recalled a training programme which she attended in Wisconsin, USA, where water hyacinth was found to have economic potential — usable for bags, furniture, and herbal products.
“Research is ongoing to establish a center that will help us convert this menace into useful products,” she said, adding that NIWA and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) are collaborating to ensure comprehensive clearance efforts.
Despite the recurring nature of the weed, Braimah assured that NIWA’s proactive response this year will minimize disruptions. “We may not completely eradicate it, but we are determined to tackle it each time it appears,” she affirmed. She said the clearance process will last for two months or more.
