Lagos Tank Farm Owners Deny Polluting the State’s Waterways

Tank farm owners in Lagos have rejected allegations that their facilities are polluting the state’s waterways, after the National Inland Waterways Authority singled out operators around Kirikiri as major contributors to the problem.

NIWA Lagos Area Manager Sarat Braimah said parts of the waterway between Mile 2 and Kirikiri had turned black from industrial waste discharge. She also blamed ship ballast discharge and waste from waterfront communities for damaging aquatic life.

“Waterfront owners, they do not even see reasons to have a soakaway. They believe our water should take it away. We want it to stop,” Braimah said. She added that some tank farms discharged waste directly into the water, leaving the Kirikiri area visibly different from other parts of Lagos, where waterways remain naturally blue.

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Waterfront owners, they do not even see reasons to have a soakaway. They believe our water should take it away. We want it to stop.

A tank farm owner declined to respond directly to the allegation but said operators followed professional waste-disposal procedures for every type of waste. “For every tank farm owner, they all have proper professional waste disposal protocols in place,” the owner said.

Braimah made the comments during the unveiling of Parts Central Limited as a partner in a NIWA-led waterways cleanup initiative. The programme will involve dredging companies, waterfront residents, boat operators and other users through dedicated committees.

NIWA said the cleanup would support safer navigation and the blue economy. Braimah also urged fishermen, dredgers, waterfront developers and companies to dispose of waste properly, noting that plastic waste could be recycled for economic value. She linked cleaner waterways to easier transport, youth employment and reduced social tensions associated with idle young people.

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For every tank farm owner, they all have proper professional waste disposal protocols in place.