By 7 a.m. on a Thursday morning in December, the engine of a small banana boat carrying 17 passengers roared to life on the Ebutte Ferry Terminal in Ikorodu.
With life jackets fixed, the boat set off, heading in the direction of Ikoyi.
Nonetheless, the journey was something however clean.
Dense mats of water hyacinth, stretching over 50 meters from the dock, rapidly slowed the boat. The implications of not slowing down are extreme.
Forcing a ship by means of water hyacinth can harm the engine—notably one in all its six pistons, which prices about N150,000 to exchange.
Operators say the harm hardly ever stops on the piston; associated elements typically fail as nicely, compounding restore prices.
Regardless of these challenges, fares have remained unchanged even after the looks of water hyacinth in September and October, as operators take in the prices reasonably than passing them on to commuters.
The motive force stopped, and a deckhand lifted the engine to manually take away entangled vegetation from the propeller.
It is a frequent incidence for smaller vessels on Lagos inland waterways. Whereas not all boats should clear entangled water hyacinth manually, they have to decelerate and arduously navigate by means of the mats, which sway the vessel and take a look at the endurance of operators and passengers alike.
As soon as the propeller was cleared, the boat picked up velocity. About quarter-hour into the experience, the vastness of the water appeared to merge with the sky on the horizon. Canoes with fishermen, busy with their morning catch, reduce by means of the water.
After 25 minutes, the boat arrived on the Sandfill Ferry Terminal on Victoria Island. After a fast cease, it continued to the 5 Cowries Terminal at Falomo, finishing the journey in 28 minutes.
Understanding water hyacinth’s grip on Lagos inland waterways
Over 4 journeys had been performed over a two-week interval, following the preliminary early morning rush to Ikoyi, and key stakeholders had been engaged within the persistent problem of water hyacinth.
On the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal, Emu, an worker of a personal inland water transport firm, defined how mats of water hyacinth typically clog boat propellers, forcing smaller boats to cease and clear the vegetation.
“The mats type close to the docks and alongside the waterways, particularly within the mornings and evenings,” he mentioned.
“Forcing a ship by means of them might harm the engine, and piston replacements alone price about N150,000.”
Chris, an everyday passenger from the riverine areas of the South-South area and a resident of Ikorodu, famous that water hyacinth impacts waterways past Lagos.
He emphasised the plant’s important potential, saying, “This plant has a lot potential and is underutilized,” and referred to as for revolutionary options to rework the problem.
Checks on-line reveal that water hyacinth will also be used within the manufacturing of fish feed and repurposed into handcrafted house necessities.
Engr. John Ovie, an Ikorodu resident who continuously commutes to Lekki, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi for work, shared his concern in regards to the dangers of capsizing on account of improper navigation by means of water hyacinth.
“If not navigated correctly, the mats of water hyacinths can destabilize the boat,” he warned.
On the docks, Ovie identified a harvester that had been out of service for a while. An nameless official from the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) confirmed the harvester’s fault however emphasised that it’s usually used to clear the invasive plant.
A Christmas Day 2024 report by the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) highlighted the difficulty, noting that passengers at Ikorodu Ferry Terminal had been stranded on account of water hyacinth blocking the waterways.
Dayo Ibrahim, an official at LASWA’s 5 Cowries Terminal, shared that the Lagos State Authorities invests closely in clearing water hyacinth however didn’t specify the quantity.
He additionally talked about a partnership with MitiMeth, which repurposes the plant into handcrafted house necessities, offering a sustainable answer.
The invasive water hyacinth has grow to be a formidable problem on Lagos inland waterways, inflicting delays, rising operational dangers, and necessitating frequent upkeep for boat operators. Its dense mats not solely disrupt journey but additionally take a look at the resilience of the waterways’ infrastructure and name for revolutionary and sustained administration efforts.
Challenges in ridership and unexpected delays on Lagos waterways
The velocity of journey has lengthy been one of many primary benefits of utilizing the waterways in Lagos.
- A LASWA official on the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal, who spoke to Nairametrics anonymously, shared that, previous to the removing of the gas subsidy, ridership on the terminal peaked at over 7,000 commuters day by day on busy days like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Nonetheless, after the subsidy removing and the following rise in gas costs, ridership has decreased by almost half.
- Whereas the journey from Ikorodu to the Island is usually fast, a uncommon incident on a current journey from the Falomo Terminal led to important delays.
- The boat developed a technical fault in the course of the water, and the deckhand was unable to resolve it instantly.
- After 42 minutes of gradual motion again towards the terminal, one other boat arrived to switch passengers and proceed the journey.
Pricing of Lagos inland waterway transportation
The price of travelling by way of Lagos inland waterways varies primarily based on the vessel and route. Banana boats cost N3,000 for journeys from Ikorodu to Lekki, Victoria Island, or Ikoyi, with fares rising to N3,500 throughout occasions just like the Lagos Boat Regatta in December.
- The occasion reduces accessible routes, as defined by terminal clerks. The fare enhance displays the restricted vessel availability, with some journeys ending at non-public terminals in Lekki.
- Bigger, trendy boats with a 30-passenger capability additionally cost N3,000, whereas the Omi Bus for 40 passengers prices N3,500.
- LAGFERRY boats provide a less expensive choice at N1,500 however run on restricted schedules and require a Cowry card for fee.
- Engr. Ovie finds the inland waterways extra inexpensive than driving, spending N6,000 day by day on boat fares in comparison with N20,000 in gas for a round-trip drive. Whereas that is manageable for him, he acknowledges it is probably not sustainable for these with decrease incomes.
- Chris prefers the waterways over visitors, saying, “I’d reasonably pay N3,000 for a fast experience than waste hours in visitors.” The N300 parking payment at Ikorodu Ferry Terminal can be manageable for him.
LASWA official Ibrahim defined that fares are set primarily based on operational prices, notably gas.
“Boats devour a number of gas—600 to 650 litres to journey from Falomo to Badagry,” he mentioned, noting that the time saved makes the fares justifiable for a lot of commuters.
Lagos State Authorities’s plan for inland waterway transportation
Mr. Ibrahim, the LASWA official, shared the Lagos State Authorities’s plans for the way forward for inland waterway transportation.
He revealed that the federal government goals to part out banana boats in favour of bigger vessels just like the Omi Bus, which might carry 40 passengers, just like the gradual removing of ‘Molue’ buses from central enterprise districts. Banana boat operators can have the chance to bid for Omi Buses, with authorities help for these licensed by LASWA and the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
“The banana boats have served their goal, however as we purpose to modernize, bigger boats just like the Omi Bus will play an important function in accommodating extra passengers and guaranteeing smoother operations,” Ibrahim mentioned.
He emphasised that the transition can be gradual, permitting operators time to adapt.
- Ibrahim additionally up to date on the Omi Eko undertaking, a key initiative beneath the Lagos State Local weather Motion Plan 2020-2025. The undertaking seeks to decarbonize public transport with electrical ferries (e-ferries).
- The Lagos State Authorities secured funding for the undertaking at COP28 in December 2023, with contributions from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) (€130 million), the European Funding Bank (EIB) (€170 million), the European Union (EU) (€60 million), and the state authorities.
- The Omi Eko undertaking will develop 15 ferry routes throughout the Lagos Lagoon, making a 140-kilometre inland waterways community.
- It contains upgrading 25 terminals and buying 75 electric-powered vessels, with solar-powered charging stations and a Management Centre for community administration and ticketing.
Skilled suggestions for enhancing Lagos’ inland waterways transportation
Tonami Playman, an unbiased transport researcher who research African transit programs, shared his insights with Nairametrics on how Lagos can improve its transportation of inland waterways.
He emphasised the significance of constant upkeep to sort out the water hyacinth problem, recommending that the removing of the invasive plant be handled with the identical regularity as street sweeping to stop build-ups.
He criticized the annual spectacle of showcasing water hyacinth removing machines for political acquire, stating, “The present observe of bringing a water hyacinth eradicating machine for photoshoots yearly just isn’t going to chop it. The upkeep of the machine and removing of the hyacinth ought to be achieved with out fanfare. It ought to be as mundane as street sweepers with required frequency to mitigate harmful build-up.”
Playman additionally proposed a number of measures to extend ferry ridership and enhance the system’s effectivity.
He urged consolidating the fragmented ferry providers and jetties right into a single working physique to optimize schedules and operations, with LASWA’s management over most jetties seen as a constructive step on this route. Increasing the fleet to allow larger frequency providers can be essential, as profitable ferry programs globally, like these in Hong Kong and London, have intervals of simply quarter-hour between providers.
He additional beneficial integrating ferry schedules with bus providers, particularly between Ikorodu and Marina, to spice up rider confidence.
“A constant departure from Ikorodu to Marina each quarter-hour will go an extended approach to instil confidence,” Playman famous.
He additionally careworn the necessity for extra inexpensive fares, suggesting that present costs, similar to N3,000 to three,500 for Ikorodu to Marina, could also be too excessive for a lot of Lagosians.
Investing in bigger vessels to accommodate extra passengers was one other key suggestion, with Playman mentioning that the present 40-passenger Omi Bus vessels are inadequate to make a major affect. “The minimal capability ought to be 200 passengers per vessel,” he added.
Playman additionally pointed to cities with excessive ferry ridership, similar to Istanbul, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, as examples from which Lagos might study beneficial classes.
Lastly, Playman expressed concern in regards to the excessive funding price per rider for ferry transport. Given the state’s monetary constraints, he argued that specializing in bus infrastructure may provide a greater return on funding, citing the success of programs in cities like Bangkok and Istanbul.
“Spending $500 million on bus enhancements can be much more helpful than spending it on ferries,” he mentioned.
Playman concluded that to rework Lagos’ transportation panorama, town ought to scale up ferry providers with bigger vessels, extra frequent providers, and a pricing mannequin that aligns higher with the buying energy of its residents.
Be First to Comment