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Project country: Nigeria

Sector: Mobility

Expert partner: Leve Ltd

This skill-share provided expert support to the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to improve congestion levels and operations, as well as contributing to their mission of increasing the city's sustainable use of the waterways network.  

To support the LASWA team in their ambition to use waterways more efficiently and to begin considering their climate transition plan, a mobility expert was selected from Leve Ltd to deliver this skill-share. The expert designed a comprehensive programme of capacity-building workshops to target priority areas and challenges outlined by LASWA.  

Workshops covered the following topics:  

• Climate transition pathways 
• Technologies for transformation  
• Inspiration for waterborne business Models, integrated and inclusive IWT (Inland Waterways and Transportation)
• Policymaking - enabling transformation 
• Foundations of project management & codes of practices (project management, transformation and operations)  
• In-land waters code (foundations to health/safety/security guidelines for ferry operations, boats and jetties) 
• A content review with presentations from key stakeholders and next steps for co-working sessions 

Workshops were followed by two co-working sessions to consolidate discussions and aid the development of a set of key recommendations: maximising the effectiveness of waterways and incorporating climate considerations and ambitions into revised policies and procedures. 

Following the support provided by the skill-share, LASWA now have a set of clear recommendations to pursue with other Lagos and federal transport agencies. These recommendations will help to deliver clean, sustainable transportation infrastructure in Lagos, especially in the water transportation sub-sector.  In the long term, implementing these recommendations will support objectives to increase waterway passenger numbers and decrease the use of highly polluting road transportation. 

Attendance during the workshops varied from 27 to 50 participants, comprised of staff and leadership from across LASWA departments with overall feedback highlighting the benefits of the collaboration. Praise was given to the "knowledge exchange, personal growth, capacity building and potential unforeseen benefits like unexpected connections and innovations on water transportation in Lagos State”. 

The expert also incorporated GESI concepts such as social inclusion where relevant. In presenting the inland water transport as a social equaliser, the expert highlighted the potential for economic development benefits to all parts of society. Accessibility was also explored through broader terms to include wheelchair users, children, the elderly, and those with temporary mobility challenges. In addition to relevant GESI content, mixed gender audiences were encouraged across LASWA participants. 

 

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• 7 workshops were delivered on topics such as: climate transition pathways, technologies for transformation, integrated and inclusive IWT, policymaking, enabling transformation, in-land water codes and foundations for health/ safety/ security guidelines for ferry operations, boats and jetties amongst others.
• The counterpart confirmed that their capacity to integrate climate action into their role was enhanced following the skill-share.
• The team also felt that their operations were strengthened and their ability to increase IWT ridership was improved.
• Over 50 participants took part in the workshops, highlighting the new partnerships and collaborations formed. Innovative solutions increased; confidence and decision-making improved.
• Recommendations to support LASWA’s transition to lead on low/zero-emission transport waterways were developed. These will propose to build climate action into LASWA's policies and practices.