The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has kicked off plans to remove shipwrecks along Badagry Creek.
The exercise is aimed at the removal "of all identified wrecks along" Badagry Creek, according to NIMASA's Director-General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
Speaking during a review session, he said the agency will "conduct a full bottom sweeping operation by deploying sonar imagery system with a view to establishing any existing natural or artificial obstacles lying on the seabed within the area of survey for this phase of the wreck removal exercise."
The decision is coming following the agency’s assessment of the impact of the exercise on the marine environment.
According to Dr. Jamoh, NIMASA is focused "on the impact of the entire operations on the marine environment with a view to ensuring the safety of marine lives."
The agency partnered with the Hydrography Department of the Nigerian Navy to identify wrecks "critical for immediate removal."
So far, four fully submerged barges have been removed and taken to a dumpsite in Kirikiri, Lagos.
Dr. Jamoh is confident that the wreckage removal will improve the "operations of the Navy in patrolling” Nigeria’s waters
