Marine debris is choking Nigeria’s coastline, threatening biodiversity, livelihoods, navigation, and port efficiency. Stakeholders warn that without urgent enforcement, innovation, and policy reform, the country’s blue economy faces rising risks to health, trade, and environmental sustainability, ANOZIE EGOLE reports
Nigeria, with more than 800 km of Atlantic coastline and major ports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bonny, and Calabar, teems with maritime activity. Yet beneath this vibrance lies a growing menace: marine debris. From plastics drifting at sea to abandoned fishing gear in river mouths and derelict wrecks in channels, the debris is more than unsightly; it is a mounting hazard to navigation, biodiversity, livelihoods, port competitiveness, and public health.
According to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigeria ranks among the top 20 countries responsible for over 80 per cent of land-based plastic pollution entering the oceans, contributing an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, roughly 70–80 per cent of which originates on land.
A Business Day report highlighted that Nigeria is the 9ᵗʰ largest global contributor of marine litter, particularly into the Gulf of Guinea. Projected globally, plastic entering oceans could escalate from eight million tonnes annually to over 23–27 million tonnes by 2040 if no action is taken.
A field study by the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research assessed debris on four beaches along Nigeria’s southwest Gulf of Guinea coastline during late 2019. They recorded debris densities up to 2,331 items per square metre for plastics, far outstripping other categories (glass 504/m², metal 625/m², styrofoam 826/m²). Plastic is dominated by a loading value of 0.92, the most prevalent material stranded on the shore.
For small and artisan crafts, speedboats, canoes, water taxis, and visible and submerged debris have caused capsizing, hull punctures, injuries, and loss of lives in coastal towns such as Epe, Badagry, Yenagoa, and Calabar.
Stakeholders speak
In June, The PUNCH reported that the Nigerian Ports Authority and other stakeholders in the maritime sector have called for a strengthened national policy framework to tackle marine debris and safeguard the future of Nigerian oceans.
They made this call in Lagos during the 2025 summit of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria, lamenting that the marine debris impairs navigational safety and port operations, “polluting coastlines, undermining tourism, coastal livelihoods, and community health, among others.”
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, explained that marine debris threatened biodiversity, including fish, marine mammals, and seabirds, often resulting in entanglement and ingestion.
Represented at the event by the Principal Manager of Marine at NPA, Femi Oyewole, the NPA boss said that as custodians of Nigeria’s seaports, it is deeply committed to advancing national and global efforts to combat marine litter and preserve the integrity of the marine ecosystem.
“Dangers are no longer distant possibilities; they are present and growing”; hence the need to tackle them headlong,” he said.
Dantsoho stated that the NPA has taken several proactive measures to confront the menace.
“As we operate and regulate port reception facilities at all major ports in Nigeria, ensuring full compliance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), particularly Annex V, which addresses garbage disposal from ships calling at the four pilotage districts: Lagos, Delta, Bonny/Port Harcourt, and Calabar Pilotage Districts,” he said.
The NPA boss maintained that these facilities provide secure, environmentally sound reception and handling of waste from vessels calling at Nigerian ports.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, applauded SCAN for choosing such a critical topic and emphasised the need to prioritise the clearance of the water channels to ensure free sailing for the vessels on the inland waterways.
Akutah, represented by Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Adeshina Sarumi, said having a channel dotted with waste debris or shipwrecks is not favourable to the nation’s water transportation.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bolaji Oyebamiji, urged all stakeholders to be upright in tackling marine debris and emphasised the need for more enlightenment for the residents of the coastal communities.
Oyebamiji, who was represented by Assistant General Manager, NIWA, Mrs. Aisha Eri, noted that marine waste is an issue that is affecting the whole world and not just Nigeria. He said there is an existing marine litter action plan in place to curb the menace, and this involves all stakeholders with shared responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the President of SCAN, Moses Ebosele, with studies indicating that millions of tonnes of plastic waste enter Nigerian oceans annually, said, “The implications for marine life, human health, and economic stability are dire. This summit aims to facilitate dialogue, share knowledge, and build collaborative strategies to combat marine pollution effectively.”
The chieftain of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Capt. Olajide Olugunwa, revealed that several ferry delays occurred in 2024 around Lagos inland waterways, mainly due to propeller entanglements caused by debris suction into engines or fouling of intakes.
Last week, the President of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, Godfrey Bivbere, raised the alarm over what he described as the deteriorating environmental and health conditions around Lagos ports in the Apapa and Tincan Island axis.
Bivbere, in a statement, highlighted what he described as “increasingly hazardous working conditions linked to airborne particles believed to originate from flour and other processing activities.”
He noted that these conditions appear to be affecting port users, workers, journalists, and security personnel operating in the area.
According to him, individuals who frequent the corridor experience symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, and respiratory discomfort, stressing the need for urgent intervention by relevant regulatory bodies to assess the situation and ensure compliance with environmental safety standards.
“The Apapa and Tincan Port corridors are a vital national asset and must be maintained to the highest environmental and health standards,” he said.
In most littoral communities, fishermen report dwindling catches, fish with plastic content in their stomachs, and plastic-related deformities or toxic odour undermining food security and marketability, while industrial trawlers face more frequent dry docking and fuel diversion. Fishes, seabirds, turtles, and mammals are being entangled by ghost nets, ingesting plastics, or suffocated by debris.
Additionally, floating waste along Lagos Lagoon and beaches becomes a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases like cholera, skin infections, and respiratory illness among riverside inhabitants. Marine debris is tarnishing Nigeria’s maritime reputation.
Reports or footage of floating debris near Apapa Anchorage or clogged port approaches reduce investor confidence in the nation’s ports. Tourism also suffers, as some beaches have become littered, eroding visitor appeal, property values, and coastal livelihoods.
In February 2021, NIMASA launched the Marine Litter and Microplastic Action Plan, aiming to reduce land-based sources of marine litter over five years. A National Task Force was also constituted to implement awareness campaigns, hotspot cleanup, waste reduction efforts, and push for plastic ban legislation in collaboration with the National Assembly and the Ministry of Environment.
Similarly, NPA operates port reception facilities across its four pilotage districts (Lagos, Delta, Bonny/Port Harcourt, and Calabar), ensuring compliance with MARPOL Annex V on garbage disposal from ships. Regular cleanup operations, water quality assessments, shoreline surveys, and monitoring programmes are underway.
Challenges
Overlapping levies imposed by some government agencies are criticised for a lack of transparency. Illegal dumping persists, inland waste systems remain poor, research funding is minimal, stakeholder engagement is low, and institutional coordination is inadequate; thus, policy ambition is not matched by execution on the ground.
In Lagos, every day, millions of sachet water bags are consumed, contributing massively to plastic in drains and rivers, with many ending up in the sea when they flow downstream or are dumped near waterways. Fishing families in Bayelsa and Rivers recount fish catches with stomachs filled with fragments, gear damaged by debris, and incomes collapsing. Persons ferrying goods or passengers see water taxis stranded mid-channel after propellers seize under the weight of abandoned nylon nets or plastic ropes. Often, such breakdowns mean not just financial loss but danger to lives on board.
Way forward
A seasoned maritime stakeholder, Chike Valentine, harped on the need for the government to enact a national marine debris act that would manage categories of debris, define offences/penalties, and assign institutional roles.
“Mandate debris management plans from shipping lines, terminals, offshore platforms, and similar in approach to oil spill response protocols. Form integrated coastal governance, empowering NIMASA and the National Inland Waterways Authority, among other agencies, to coordinate cleanup, enforcement, and monitoring, and introduce strong enforcement and sanctions, including a minimum fine of N5m for illegal disposal into waterways. Launch community-level waste-to-wealth incentives, promoting recovery/recycling programmes, youth maritime engagement, and grants. Deploy surveillance technologies, such as satellites, drones, and radar-augmented buoys, to detect real-time debris zones and monitor hotspots. Boost public outreach via schools, markets, unions, and religious groups; harness extended producer responsibility, making producers of plastic packaging (e.g., water sachets, bottles) responsible for collection and recycling,” he said.
Mr. Ben Ayah believes that Nigeria lacks robust, continuous monitoring of marine debris, stressing that while beach surveys and occasional port audits occur, there is no systematic yearly national inventory of debris entering or circulating in territorial waters.
“The absence of high-resolution data, such as Sentinel imagery or automated detection, limits response effectiveness. Tackling the crisis will require bold legislation, stronger enforcement, meaningful public engagement, and coordinated action across government, industry, and communities. Without it, Nigeria risks leaving behind a maritime legacy marred by pollution, handing future generations a coastline littered, poisoned, and lifeless,” Ayah said.
Conclusion
The marine and blue economy is central to Nigeria’s growth ambitions. Nevertheless, marine debris threatens those gains. An estimated loss of $500bn to $2.5tn globally in ecosystem services due to pollution is a sobering comparison. If Nigeria continues as one of the top contributors, its waterways may become less competitive, less navigable, and less able to sustain coastal livelihoods. Marine debris is no longer a distant future concern; it is already crippling maritime transport, polluting coastlines, and eroding public health in Nigeria today.
Marine debris is more than an environmental issue; it’s an economic, health, safety, and reputational crisis for Nigeria’s maritime future. The data is stark: millions of tonnes of plastic are created each year, beaches are laden with debris, vessels are delayed, fishermen are deprived, wildlife is at risk, and ports are under scrutiny. The solutions are known: legislation, enforcement, technology, education, and community engagement, but action must now move from policy documents to real implementation. If the government fails to act, coastlines will remain littered, waterways obstructed, fisheries collapsed, and its ports sidelined in regional competition. But with coordinated resolve, investment in research and infrastructure, and meaningful regulation, including the looming single-use plastic ban, Nigeria can reclaim clean seas, safe shipping lanes, healthy fisheries, and thriving coastal economies. The challenge is urgent.
