Lagos partners Sifax Group to boost water transportation

THE Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has assured Sifax Group that it will ensure a conducive environment for water transportation business to thrive in the state. This is even as the agency explained that it went into a partnership with the Tin-Can port terminal C landlord in order to boost water transportation in the State.

Managing Director of LASWA, Mr Emmanuel Damilola, gave the assurance, recently at the end of a five-day water hyacinth recycling training programme put together by the agency in collaboration with MITI METH in Lagos.

Damilola reiterated the state commitment to partner with the private sector to boost water transportation and tourism, pointing out that the move by Sifax Group would serve as a win-win situation for residents of Lagos.

“As you know, the jetties are government infrastructures and one of the things we need to do in government is to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and that is what we are doing,” he said.

He noted that the Ebute Ojo jetties would further reduce the number of passengers on the roads, urging the concessionaire to take advantage of the opportunities by providing the required services to Lagos.

Recall that after the state handing over of the jetty to the concessionaire recently, work had already commenced.

Speaking on the empowerment initiative, the LASWA boss called on participants to take advantage of the programme to create wealth for themselves, adding that government will continue to encourage people in the state on wealth creation.

He disclosed that the next empowerment programme will take place at the Ikorodu, saying that water hyacinth poses serious danger to water transportation and the agency has taken the advantage by initiating waste to wealth programme.

Fifty women participated in the programme with the sum of N15,000 given to each of them as grant.

Similarly, the facilitator of the programme and Managing Director, MITI METH, Mrs Achenyo Idachaba, stressed the need to convert environmental hazards like water hyacinth to wealth.

She maintained that the collaboration between Lagos State government and MITI METH was aimed at reducing the menace of the weed on the waterways for safe navigation and to further empower women through wealth creation.