Private, informal transit operations are always subject to change. This information was collected in February 2025. To stay up-to-date, we have included a user feedback feature where users can submit updates to the data. If you see anything that's missing or incorrect, please let us know.
This is the first-ever comprehensive map of private and public ferries in Lagos.
In Lagos, the city ranked worst in the world for road congestion, ferries are an underutilised and poorly understood transportation alternative. Part of the problem is the lack of information; private, informal ferries have no public documentation, and people only learn about them through word-of-mouth.
That's why we deployed a team of data collectors to gather detailed information about the routes, schedules, and fares. The goal is to educate Lagos commuters about the availability and advantages of water transit alternatives, enabling people to have faster, more enjoyable commutes.
This data resource was produced by Stears Open Data, a non-profit initiative of Stears. We published this project as free open data because we believe in the importance of ferry transportation and want to spark dialog about reducing road congestion by expanding robust multi-modal transportation in Lagos.
Explore our videos on this topic:
The Lagos State government runs a ferry service called LagFerry, which has been actively expanding and improving over the decades. However, most ferry routes are run by private, informal operators, similar to Lagos’ danfo buses. Until this project from Stears Open Data, there has been no online documentation of all the private routes, schedules, and fares.
There are a wide range of ferry facilities in Lagos. The types of facilities span from modern ferry terminals with air-conditioned waiting rooms and other amenities to undeveloped landings where boats pull up on sand banks on the shoreline. Some locations are quite informal and undeveloped, making them a better fit for commuters who are more adventurous and don't mind getting their shoes muddy. The video below provides some illustrative examples.
Our interactive map presents the full spectrum of ferry facilities and routes. The ferry facilities are color-coded based on their level of development. Pictures and links to the Google Maps pages are also provided to help you imagine what it's like at each site.
Within the Lagos ferry network, there is a wide range of boats, varying in passenger capacity, speed, and covered protection from rain and wind. The largest and most stable are the catamarans run by LagFerry on the busier routes. The smallest and most exposed are banana boats. The video below provides some illustrative examples.
Our map indicates which types of boats operate on each ferry route, so you know what to expect.
Most ferry routes have somewhat fluid, flexible schedules, with boats departing only once they are full of passengers. Even the government-run LagFerry routes don’t always have a strict departure time; they often wait until the boats are full.
Our map clarifies these schedules and how often the boats typically depart. In addition to fixed routes, where passengers pay for individual tickets, our map includes charter options, where passengers pay to charter the entire boat to reach any desired destination. There often isn’t a strict line between the two, with private/informal operators switching to offering charter services when there is low passenger demand for fixed routes, especially on weekends or during the lull between peak weekday commuting periods.
Explore our videos on this topic:
In Lagos, passenger ferry transportation is overseen by both national and state agencies to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.
At the national level, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is responsible for regulating Nigeria's inland waterways, including those in Lagos. NIWA's duties encompass setting safety standards for vessels, approving and monitoring ferry operations, and sanctioning illegal activities on the waterways. They collaborate with other bodies to maintain navigable channels and ensure the safety of boat operators and passengers.
At the state level, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) is pivotal in managing and regulating water transportation. Established to provide alternatives to road traffic congestion, LASWA oversees the operations of boats and ferries, ensuring they adhere to safety protocols. All passenger vehicles must be registered with LASWA and are required to provide lifejackets for passengers. The agency conducts operator training programs and educates the public on water safety. Additionally, LASWA has deployed water guards across various terminals to monitor compliance and enhance passenger safety.
The Lagos State Ferry Services (LagFerry) prioritises its passengers’ safety through strict operating procedures. All passengers and crew are mandated to wear life jackets during voyages, and the agency ensures regular maintenance of its boats to uphold operational safety standards. To enhance emergency preparedness, LagFerry personnel undergo training in survival techniques and search and rescue operations. Additionally, LagFerry has implemented a digital surveillance system, featuring real-time vessel monitoring, CCTV cameras, and geo-fencing capabilities, to bolster passengers' and crew's safety and security.
Explore our videos on this topic:
This is the first-ever comprehensive map of private and public ferries in Lagos. It was produced through a combination of data extraction from online sources and field data collection. The scope is limited to the Lagos metropolitan area, rather than the entire state, because we are focused on reducing road congestion in the city of Lagos.
We began by identifying all locations that could potentially have ferry activities. We did this by building off a list terminals, jetties, and landings from LASWA (note: many of these locations are inactive or used for industrial/commercial purposes and therefore not open to the public). We then expanded the list by mining Google Maps and OpenStreetMap for all locations that had ferry-related keywords in their names. We hired a team of field data collection contractors to visit all the locations and determine if there is passenger ferry activity there. The field team interviewed operators at each location to document the routes that operate there and capture detailed information about the stops, schedules, and fares. They also rode the ferries and collected GPS logs, capturing the coordinates of the ferries' exact paths and stops. We then cleaned and compiled all this information into an interactive map which is freely available to the public.
Private, informal transit operations are always subject to change. This information was collected in February 2025. To stay up-to-date, we have included a user feedback feature where users can submit updates to the data.
If you see anything that's missing or incorrect, please let us know.
Explore behind-the-scenes footage: