Lagos State, on Wednesday, became the hub of continental maritime discourse as the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), and global ferry association Interferry united forces at a high-level conference themed “Charting Safer Waters: Advancing Ferry Safety Through Innovation, Collaboration and Integrated Transport Solutions.”
The summit marked a pivotal step in the quest to harmonize safety standards, modernize ferry operations, and integrate sustainable transport solutions across the region’s inland and coastal waterways.
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who addressed stakeholders at the event, described the conference as a timely intervention that reflects Lagos’s ambition to lead the continent in safe, reliable, and future-ready water transportation.
He lauded LASWA’s partnership with MOWCA and Interferry, calling it a “clear statement of intent” in regional efforts to prioritize ferry safety and innovation.
Hamzat highlighted Lagos’s massive investments in water transport infrastructure, including modern jetties, smart terminals, digital navigation systems, and training for ferry operators.
He argued that ferry safety must transcend national borders, urging West and Central African nations to forge unified safety frameworks, share intelligence, standardize training, and adopt new technologies for navigation and emergency response.
“Our commitment is to create a future where ferry transportation is not only efficient and accessible but above all, safe and sustainable for everyone. This is a shared responsibility we must not delay,” he said.
Lagos Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said maritime safety is a “continuous journey” that must be sustained by collaboration and innovation.
With urban populations surging across coastal African cities, he said ferries have evolved from optional to essential, and now demand elevated safety standards.
“Our ambition must be to ensure that every passenger, whether in Lagos, Lomé, Accra, or Dakar, boards a ferry with full confidence in the systems protecting them,” Osiyemi added.
LASWA’s Managing Director, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, described the summit as a milestone in shaping a cross-border ferry system that is technically advanced, environmentally friendly, and integrated into broader urban mobility strategies.
He emphasized the role of ferries in easing congestion, improving connectivity, and supporting sustainable transport models for growing African cities.
Secretary General of MOWCA, Paul Adalikwu, described Lagos as a natural choice for hosting the conference. He pointed to the state’s expansive waterway network, multi-modal transport approach, and nearly 60,000 daily waterway commuters as a living example of what a coordinated ferry ecosystem could look like across Africa.
Adalikwu said the aim is to understudy Lagos’s model, benchmark it against emerging global best practices, and explore regional policy alignments that will make ferry services safer, more efficient, and more appealing to citizens and businesses alike.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, praised the conference’s theme, saying it aligns perfectly with NIWA’s mission to ensure inland water travel is safe, affordable, and globally competitive.
He reiterated that ferry safety is a collective responsibility that must involve continuous stakeholder dialogue and unified action.
