Determined to enhance waterways safety, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has donated life jackets to the Ogun State Government for waterways operators in the state.
In a statement on Tuesday, Oyetola, while handing over the life jackets,
assured inland waterways users that the ministry will stop at nothing to curb the needless loss of lives on waterways.
Represented by the Director of Maritime Services in the ministry, Dr. Mercy Ilori, the Minister said the campaign is part of a deliberate national strategy to embed a safety culture on our inland waterways.
“This is one of the most comprehensive Federal Government responses in recent times to the persistent loss of lives on Nigeria’s waterways. Consequently, there have been successful handovers of safety life jackets at Niger, Bayelsa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Taraba, and Lagos States. We are now in Ogun State to sustain the momentum and reveal the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of the state’s people,” Oyetola said.
According to him, the frequency and tragic consequences of boat mishaps across the country are deeply concerning.
“It is in recognition of this menace that the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to prioritise life-saving interventions to bring about tangible change,” he said.
Oyetola stressed that it is worth noting that the National Inland Waterways Authority, a key agency under the Ministry, plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this strategy.
He added that NIWA continues to lead in regulation, monitoring compliance, and supporting education and enforcement efforts on our inland waters.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, assured the minister that the life jackets will be distributed equitably to registered operators across the state.
The Governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, stated that safety on the nation’s waterways wasn’t a privilege but a right of everyone in the state.
He also assured that the state is ready and willing to provide all the necessary support to sustain the momentum, but to enhance inland waterways as a viable and secure alternative to road infrastructure.
“Safety on the waterways is not a privilege; it is a right. Every life jacket handed out today represents a life potentially saved, a family preserved, and a future secured. This initiative aligns with the human capital development pillar of our administration’s ISEYA agenda, ensuring that people remain at the heart of our progress. Ogun State values the synergy we have fostered with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and applauds their dedication to the development of marine infrastructure, safety standards, and the blue economy as a whole. Ogun State stands ready and willing to provide all the necessary support to sustain this momentum, not only in marine safety but also in enhancing inland waterways as viable and secure alternatives to road transport,” Abiodun said.
The state governor, however, warned that state actors would not allow preventable tragedies to define the nation’s way of war.
“As we continue to embrace innovation and development in transportation, we must also embrace accountability and responsibility. Let us not allow preventable tragedies to define the way of life; let us instead champion the principles of safety, respect for life, and collective vigilance,” he said.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, warned that the issue of safety on the inland waterways cannot be overemphasised as he recounted several tragic incidents that claimed hundreds of lives.
“The issue of safety can never be overemphasised. On June 12, 2023, a wooden boat carrying wedding guests returning from a marriage ceremony from Niger State capsized in Jeva Channel Lake, in the Niger River in Kwara State, owing to overloading and a submerged tree. The boat was reported to be carrying over 200 guests, despite having a capacity of just less than 100 passengers. More than 200 lives were lost, among which were a father and four of his children. So, you can imagine the kind of tragedy that befell the family,” he said.
The NIWA MD, who was represented by Engr. Elsie Egwuatu, observed that in the respective cases, the boats were heavily overloaded, sailed at night without the proper navigational aids, and conveyed passengers without life jackets.
Also speaking, the National President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria, Tarzan Balogun, called for intensified regulatory efforts to prioritise safety and infrastructural development on Nigerian waterways.
