The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced an immediate ban on loading activities at unauthorized points across the country in a bid to curb boat accidents and improve safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways.
Bola Oyebamiji, Managing Director of NIWA, disclosed the new directive during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
“NIWA has placed an immediate ban on loading activities from all unauthorised loading points nationwide. No commercial passenger boat shall be allowed to load from any point other than those recognised and registered by NIWA,” Oyebamiji said.
He also stressed that it is now mandatory for all commercial boat operators to provide lifejackets and enforce their use at all times. In addition, all passenger boats must properly display their names and load lines.
The NIWA boss further directed that all unlicensed boats and watercraft be removed from the waterways, while unlicensed operators are banned from engaging in commercial operations.
The measures come after a series of deadly boat mishaps in recent months. In August, more than 40 passengers were reported missing following a boat accident in Sokoto. Last year, at least 16 farmers died in a similar incident when a wooden canoe capsized while ferrying them to their rice farms.
Experts have long blamed poor regulation and disregard for safety measures as major causes of frequent accidents on Nigeria’s waterways.
