Industry leaders have raised the alarm over the growing threat of marine debris to Nigeria’s maritime economy, coastal safety and national development, calling for immediate coordinated interventions to avert a possible environmental and operational crisis.

They warned that the widespread presence of submerged plastics, abandoned fishing gear, derelict vessels, and electronic waste poses a direct threat to boats, marine life, fisheries and the livelihoods of riverine communities.

The federal government’s national policy document on the marine and blue economy noted that despite Nigeria’s membership in international agreements such as MARPOL, enforcement of anti-pollution regulations remains weak due to a lack of resources and limited monitoring capacity.

However, shipowners have criticised the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for imposing “overlapping and unjustified” levies under the guise of environmental protection.

According to the shipowners, NIMASA deducts 10 per cent as a Sea Protection Levy for every vessel, with Nigerian-flagged vessels charged yearly, while foreign vessels are charged per entry.

Additionally, vessels operating offshore must pay all three levies – the sea protection levy, the environmental levy and offshore waste charges.

Speaking at a summit in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Sea Transport Services Nigeria Limited, Aminu Umar, represented by Dr Anthony Joshua, expressed frustration over the lack of clear leadership among maritime regulatory agencies in the removal of wrecks from critical navigational channels.

“It is choking, and it’s raising serious apprehension among stakeholders. We are not opposing environmental regulation, but these levies must be transparent, accountable, and justified,” he said.

A Master Mariner and Second Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), Captain Olajide Olugunwa, described marine debris as a mounting national emergency.

He warned that the country may suffer lasting environmental and economic damage if urgent policy and enforcement measures are not taken to stem the tide of waste entering Nigerian waters.

Olugunwa stated that the issue extends beyond pollution, threatening navigational safety, vessel integrity, and human lives.

According to him, ferry and fishing boats frequently suffer damage from entangled propellers and cooling system failures caused by debris suction into engines, often resulting in costly dry-docking, service delays, and income loss.

He noted that in 2024 alone, over 380 ferry delays were recorded on Lagos’ inland waterways due to debris-related propeller entanglements.

Olugunwa further warned that marine wildlife is increasingly being found strangled by ghost nets or poisoned by plastic ingestion.

Fishermen in coastal states such as Bayelsa and Rivers are now reporting dwindling catches and fish contaminated with microplastics, posing threats to food security and public health.

Beyond the environmental toll, he emphasised that marine debris is damaging Nigeria’s international maritime reputation, with foreign operators raising concerns about the state of the nation’s ports.

He called for the enactment of a National Marine Debris Act and the implementation of comprehensive debris management plans across all ports and offshore facilities.

Echoing these concerns, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, emphasised that while the Authority has ramped up cleanup operations and environmental monitoring, a national-scale solution will require stronger legislation, broader public engagement, and deeper intergovernmental collaboration.

Outlining the NPA’s strategic response, Dantsoho disclosed that the Authority routinely undertakes marine litter and seaweed cleanup exercises across port channels and berthing areas.

This, he said, is complemented by environmental monitoring programmes, including water quality assessments and shoreline surveys, to identify pollution hotspots.

Despite these efforts, Dantsoho highlighted several persistent challenges, including illegal dumping by waterfront communities and port users, inadequate infrastructure for managing port-generated waste, low levels of environmental awareness, weak enforcement of anti-littering laws, poor inland waste management systems, and limited research and funding for large-scale cleanup operations.

He underscored the urgent need to strengthen national policy frameworks to support clean port strategies, boost environmental education, especially in riverine and coastal communities, and promote innovation through data collection and technological solutions.