The Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Onifade, has revealed that Nigeria can turn the growing volume of plastic waste, water hyacinth and other marine litter clogging its waterways into economic wealth through recycling, biofuels and other value-added processes.

Onifade spoke to journalists in Lagos, where he provided updates on Parts Central’s recently launched nationwide waterways clean-up initiative in partnership with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

Onifade explained that the initiative was designed not merely to remove waste from the waterways but to develop sustainable systems to convert recovered materials into useful products.

He further explained that biodegradable materials collected during the clean-up would not simply be discarded, noting that they could be processed for various applications, including biofuels and other products.

According to him, the company was also examining technologies for sorting and processing plastic waste for recycling, adding that the objective was to create an economically viable circular economy around Nigeria’s waterways.

Onifade disclosed that Parts Central was developing a technology-driven database covering ports, jetties, landing sites, riverbanks, dockyards and other locations connected to the country’s inland waterways.

He said the database would enable the company and relevant government stakeholders to determine the volume of waste generated across different locations and deploy resources more effectively.

According to him, every jetty and landing port would be assessed to determine whether appropriate waste-management facilities were available, and boats and other watercraft would also be included in the data-gathering process.

Onifade explained that the company had spent considerable time testing various technologies and devices to tackle waterway pollution, adding that the exercise would eventually involve manufacturers and other stakeholders in the plastics and waste-management value chain.

He further disclosed that Parts Central was preparing to extend the clean-up campaign beyond Lagos, with plans to flag off the waterways clean-up exercise in Port Harcourt and Imo State as part of its broader expansion across the country.

Onifade said the company was currently putting structures in place to ensure that the initiative was properly coordinated and supported by data before expanding to additional locations.

Onifade stressed that the growing interest from government agencies, ministries, associations, and other stakeholders in cleaner waterways indicated that the initiative was addressing a critical national challenge.

He noted that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) was also engaging with stakeholders to reduce plastic pollution in waterways.

“Our goal is to have pollution-free waterways. We will integrate everybody who has a very good and genuine mindset that pollution-free waterways are possible in Nigeria.”

He stressed that the long-term vision was to create a nationwide system in which waterways would not only be cleaner but also become sources of employment, enterprise and wealth creation.