Govt unveils Lagos channel performance review
The Federal Government has launched a five-day technical validation of its long-standing joint venture on Lagos channel management. The move, according to a statement by the Director, Information & Public
The Federal Government has launched a five-day technical validation of its long-standing joint venture on Lagos channel management.
The move, according to a statement by the Director, Information & Public Relations, Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Anastasia Ogbonna, seeks to tighten oversight, verify operational performance, and ensure value for money in one of Nigeria’s most critical maritime corridors.
The exercise, she said, led by the ministry in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), is focused on assessing the outcomes of its partnership with Lagos Channel Management Limited (LCM), which has been responsible for maintaining the Lagos Harbour access channels since 2005.
At the centre of the review is a high-level delegation headed by the Director of Maritime Services, Meshack Adeola Oyinloye, conducting on-site inspections to independently verify dredging outputs, technical performance, and cost efficiency under the joint venture framework.
The ministry said the exercise is designed to establish a credible performance baseline that will guide future monitoring and evaluation of channel management operations, while strengthening governance and accountability in the arrangement.
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According to the ministry, the team will “track the Joint Venture’s operational performance, verify reported technical outputs and achievements, establish reliable baseline data for future performance measurement, and confirm cost-effectiveness and value for money in all channel management activities.”
The validation comes amid growing emphasis on data-driven infrastructure management within the country’s maritime sector, with authorities seeking to align operational outcomes with the broader objectives of the blue economy.
The exercise, the ministry noted, would provide independent technical confirmation of dredging and maintenance works, while reinforcing transparency in the management of navigation channels that handle a significant share of the country’s seaborne trade.
The outcome of the exercise, it said, is expected to enhance long-term sustainability of channel management strategies, ensuring that Lagos navigation channels remain safe, efficient, and capable of handling increasing vessel traffic.
Since its inception in 2005, LCM has played a central role in improving navigability within the Lagos Harbour, undertaking both capital and maintenance dredging to sustain required channel depths.
Its responsibilities also include conducting quarterly bathymetric surveys, removing wrecks and underwater obstructions, installing and maintaining navigational aids, as well as supporting capacity development and monitoring environmental conditions within the channel corridor.
