Abandoned Ships, Lost Jobs & Hidden Steel: Inside Nigeria’s ₦60 Billion Maritime Waste Crisis

By FRED LONGJOHN OBEH

A Maritime Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight

ACROSS Nigeria’s coastal waters, rusting ships and abandoned barges have become permanent features of the maritime landscape.

Behind the wreckage lies a problem that combines safety, environmental protection and economic waste.

Experts estimate that abandoned vessels across the country could contain approximately 200,000 tonnes of recoverable steel, with an estimated economic value exceeding ₦60 billion.

Yet Nigeria continues to lose the potential value of the material while paying the broader economic price of leaving the wrecks in its waterways.

The vessels obstruct shipping channels, threaten fishermen, damage marine equipment and create additional risks for commercial vessels.

Ports & Waterways Under Pressure

The problem is particularly visible around Lagos, Badagry, Onne, Bonny and Calabar.

Many vessels were reportedly abandoned after their owners considered proper disposal too expensive or difficult.

Over time, some have become submerged or partially submerged, making them difficult to identify and particularly dangerous to smaller vessels.

A 2025 study around Rivers and Onne port complexes found that 66.7 per cent of respondents considered shipping-lane obstruction a major problem. An even higher 91.6 per cent reported damage to fishing equipment.

Those figures illustrate how the wrecks affect more than commercial shipping.

Fishermen Pay a Heavy Price

For coastal communities, a submerged wreck can turn an ordinary fishing trip into a dangerous undertaking.

Metal obstructions can destroy nets, damage engines and tear through small boats. Lost fishing time also translates directly into lost income.

Maritime expert Ismail Aniemu said wreck removal would help protect artisanal fishermen and reduce accidents in major navigation channels.

The risk also affects larger vessels. Collisions and groundings can damage hulls, engines and propellers while disrupting maritime operations.

In congested channels, one accident can trigger wider disruptions.

Environmental Consequences

The economic losses do not stop at maritime operations.

Anefi Mohammed, a freight-forwarding stakeholder, warned that ageing vessels could release oil residues, heavy metals and other pollutants into surrounding waters.

That contamination could affect fishing grounds and marine ecosystems.

Wrecks may also interfere with water movement and contribute to damage affecting mangroves, beaches and coastal areas.

Moreover, abandoned vessels can create secluded spaces that criminals could exploit for illegal activities.

Nigeria Is Also Losing an Industrial Opportunity

The most striking aspect of the crisis may be what Nigeria could gain by properly managing the wrecks.

The estimated 200,000 tonnes of recoverable steel could provide a substantial supply of raw materials for local steel and recycling businesses.

Rather than simply paying contractors to remove and dispose of abandoned ships, Nigeria could develop a regulated industry around their recovery.

That approach could create jobs in marine salvage, vessel dismantling, transportation, metal processing and recycling.

It could also provide materials for domestic production of reinforcement bars, steel plates and structural components.

Building a Ship-Recycling Industry

A modern ship-recycling industry could become part of Nigeria’s wider maritime industrial strategy.

Lagos, particularly the industrial areas around Kirikiri, has existing maritime and industrial activities that could support such development.

However, recycling would require strict environmental standards.

Without proper regulation, ship dismantling could simply transfer pollution from waterways to land.

Government would therefore need to establish approved recycling yards, enforce safety standards and monitor the disposal of hazardous materials.

Why the Wrecks Keep Returning to the Agenda

Nigeria has not ignored the problem completely.

NIMASA maintains a wreck-removal programme and has undertaken some clearance operations.

However, stakeholders say the efforts remain inadequate compared with the scale of the challenge.

Funding is one problem. Institutional overlap is another.

Authorities must also resolve difficult questions about ownership and liability when vessels become effectively ownerless.

Specialised salvage equipment remains limited, while incomplete removal operations can leave underwater hazards behind.

Previous government interventions and funding proposals have consequently failed to produce a comprehensive solution.

Turning Liability Into Revenue

Experts believe Nigeria can reduce the financial burden by combining public intervention with private investment.

Authorities could auction vessels that retain commercial value and recycle those beyond recovery.

Public-private partnerships could also finance salvage operations. Government could subsequently earn revenue through taxes and other charges generated by recycling activities.

Such a model would shift wreck removal from a purely expenditure-driven exercise towards a potential revenue-generating industry.

The Case for a National Master Plan

Stakeholders want NIMASA to lead a coordinated national strategy involving the Nigerian Ports Authority and the National Inland Waterways Authority.

The proposed master plan would identify wrecks, establish removal deadlines and assign responsibility for each stage of the process.

It would also provide funding mechanisms and environmental safeguards.

Modern equipment, including magnetometers and heavy-lift salvage systems, would improve the accuracy and efficiency of removal operations.

Blue Economy Ambitions Need Safer Waterways

Nigeria’s ambition to expand its Blue Economy cannot be separated from the condition of its waterways.

A maritime economy cannot operate efficiently when shipping lanes remain obstructed, fishermen face hidden hazards and abandoned vessels continue to pollute coastal environments.

The wrecks therefore represent both a warning and an opportunity.

Nigeria can continue allowing valuable steel to rust beneath its waters while maritime risks accumulate. Or it can build a regulated system that removes the hazards and recovers the economic value.

The immediate objective should be safer waterways.

The bigger opportunity lies in turning an estimated ₦60 billion maritime liability into raw materials, jobs, industrial activity and a stronger Nigerian maritime economy.