It was not a routine courtesy call when Commodore Kingsley Nwokenna (Rtd.) led a delegation of Flotilla Academy of Marine Technology through the doors of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) last Wednesday in Lagos.
According to the retired naval chief, he came not merely to applaud, but to act. The meeting, held at LASWA headquarters at approximately 3:00 PM on Wednesday 18th March, 2026 brought together Flotilla’s leadership and LASWA management for what would prove to be a substantive and warmly received exchange — one that may mark the beginning of a significant new partnership in the push to transform Lagos’s waterways.
A sailor who never stopped serving, Commodore Nwokenna set the tone from the outset. In his address that drew visibly on a career spanning more than three decades in the Nigerian Navy — commanding ships across demanding waters, shaping young officers into disciplined seafarers — the retired officer spoke with quiet authority about what the sea demands and what it gives back. “Once the sea claims you — it keeps you,” he told LASWA’s management.
The General Manager, Mr Damilola Emmanuel receiving the delegation, responded in like manner, saying that the sea had taken hold of him too, and had no intention of letting go.
However, the Commodore’s remarks carried more than nostalgia. He spoke pointedly about what he had witnessed in the Niger Delta — the toll that fossil fuel pollution exacts on waterways, on mangroves, on the communities that depend on them, and he drew a direct line between those hard-won lessons and the urgency of getting things right in Lagos.
“The people who travel those waters every single day deserve far better than what they have been given,” he said. “Lagos is too great a city. The Lagos waterways are too precious a resource.”It was against this backdrop that he turned to LASWA’s flagship initiative — the Omi Eko electric ferry programme — with a commendation that was pointed as much as it was generous.
“What you are building here is not simply a transit system,” he told the General Manager. “It is a legacy.”
Flotilla’s Credentials on the Table:
Following the Commodore’s remarks, Mr. Adakole Ejegbudu — naval architect, vessel designer and builder, and a Technical Director at Flotilla Academy — delivered a detailed presentation on the organisation’s capabilities and track records.
“Flotilla Academy of Marine Technology is not a newcomer to the sector. The institution trains maritime professionals with a dual emphasis on safety and sustainability, and has built an international network of institutional partners that only few Nigerian organisations can match: Practical Boat Design and Seamanship International (PBDSI) of Spain as well as MaxBoat Corporation of the Philippines”, he revealed.
Speaking further, Mr. Ejegbudu outlined not only the formal partnerships but his personal relationships with key figures at each institution — relationships that translate directly into technical depth and global standards.
The presentation covered four specific areas in which Flotilla believes collaboration with LASWA is both natural and immediately viable, anchored squarely in the organisation’s competencies. It was received by all accounts, with enthusiasm — including a rousing round of applause from the management team.
The General Manager’s Candour and a Seven-Month Admission:
What followed was perhaps the most telling moment of the afternoon. LASWA’s General Manager, Mr Damilola Emmanuel visibly engaged, made a disclosure that spoke volumes: he had been aware of Flotilla Academy for over seven months. He had come across their materials, had been closely interested — and had, in his own words, wanted to follow up.
The reason for his interest was not difficult to explain. The General Manager was frank about the state of the industry: the single biggest challenge facing the Lagos waterways today, he stated, is a severe shortage of qualified manpower. Most accidents on the water are not caused by equipment failure or infrastructure gaps — they are caused by frontline operators, captains and boat drivers, who lack basic professional competency.
Many do not know the navigational rules of the road. Many do not know the correct protocols to follow in the event of an emergency. It is precisely the gap that an institution like Flotilla Academy is positioned to fill.
Omi Eko: Long-Term Prize, Immediate Mandate:
On the Omi Eko electric ferry project — LASWA’s ambitious programme to introduce zero-emission vessels onto the Lagos lagoon — the General Manager was measured but encouraging.
Even with foreign partners already engaged on the initiative, he confirmed that there is room for local content in certain elements.The more immediate need, however, is on the training and capacity development side. The General Manager said there was need for synergy in capacity development.
What Comes Next?:
The meeting achieved its core purpose: establishing Flotilla Academy’s credibility before LASWA leadership and opening the door to a concrete working relationship. For a city of Lagos’s scale and ambition, with millions of potential commuters on its waterways, the question of who trains the men and women operating those vessels is not an administrative matter. It is a question of lives.
Flotilla Academy, it would appear, has been given its moment to answer it. Flotilla Academy of Marine Technology Ltd is a Nigerian maritime training and vessel development institution with international partnerships spanning Spain, the Philippines, and the United States.
