The Federal Government, through the National Inland Waterways Authority is planning to phase out wooden boats on inland waterways.
This was disclosed by NIWA Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, during a recent meeting with editors in Lagos, noting this initiative, aims to improve safety and efficiency in Nigeria’s inland water transportation, according to The Punch.
In the discussion focused on waterway safety and expanding water travel, Oyebamiji revealed that wooden boats comprise over 90 percent of the vessels operating on the waterways. He highlighted that these boats are the primary
Oyebamiji said they accounted for the majority of accidents on the waterways nationwide.
He said this was large because they had no regard for operational rules, “which included not traveling at night, overloading and failure to use life jackets by both operators and passengers.”
He stated that traveling at night is considered a criminal offense.
“Most of them have no light at all. Overloading is also an issue. And the boats are piloted by people of the lowest education in Nigeria,” he stated.
To address the issue in the short term, he noted that NIWA has significantly increased the number of marshals at jetties from 80 to 350 nationwide.
Oyebamiji explained that at least two marshals are stationed at each jetty daily, covering both morning and night shifts.
He also announced that the agency has launched an extensive campaign at jetties and through media channels.
The NIWA boss mentioned that the campaign is conducted in both English and the local languages of the communities involved.
The initiative aims to educate boat operators and passengers about the dangers of night travel, overloading, and the importance of wearing life jackets, among other safety issues.
The Managing Director emphasized that the long-term goal is to completely phase out wooden boats from operation.
Oyebamiji stated that the agency is working closely with the Presidency and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to facilitate the replacement of wooden boats across the country.
He also mentioned that the agency plans to deploy more patrol boats to monitor operators in accordance with the NIWA Code, noting that the Nigerian Navy is assisting in this effort.
“A lot of people bring God into this matter of safety on waterways when we are the problems ourselves. Our characters and our behaviors are the great determinants here,” Oyebamiji stated.
