A series of barge explosions on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, in Rivers State has led to significant pollution, affecting fishing communities near Cawthorne Channel 1 and Alakiri Kulama, according to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
In a statement on Wednesday, NIMASA reported that while the full extent of the environmental damage is yet to be determined, communities such as Ayo-Tamuno, Miebaka, and other nearby settlements may have been impacted.
“NIMASA’s accident investigation team, which collected samples from the incident site, confirmed that a visible oil film covers a large portion of the water surface. The investigation also revealed that all affected barges were laden with crude oil at the time of the explosion,” the agency stated.
The explosion, which occurred at approximately 14:10 hours at Cawthorne Channel 1 (Latitude 4.575579° and Longitude 7.064638°), started on the dry crude storage barge BESTAF5 before spreading to other vessels.
The affected barges include the Goshen Link fuel barge, owned by Geonofeg Resources Limited, and the Godgift fuel barge.
NIMASA Director General, Dayo Mobereola, assured that the agency is actively working with other government bodies and local communities to manage the environmental impact.
“We will work closely with relevant authorities and host communities to mitigate the damage. Our team has conducted multiple site visits, and these will continue until a final report determines both the immediate and underlying causes of the explosion. Learning from this incident is critical to preventing future occurrences,” Mobereola stated.
He further emphasized that while pollution control remains a key priority for NIMASA, the agency is committed to strengthening pollution prevention measures to safeguard Nigeria’s marine environment.
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