The Federal Government through the National Inland Waterways Authority has announced that plans are going to be put in place for the eradication of wooden boats on inland waterways across the country.
This was made known to the public by the Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, to editors during a chat in Lagos which was later published by newsmen today, Monday, the 28th of October, 2024.
In his remarks during the interaction, Oyebamiji explained that wooden boats constituted over 90 per cent of boats on the waterways across the country, accounting for the majority of accidents causing a high degree of loss of lives and properties.
The director said that wooden boat operators had no regard for operational rules and regulations as stated in their guideline.
“which included not traveling at night, overloading and failure to use life jackets by both operators and passengers” he said.
He pointed out that traveling at night is a criminal offence according to the laws of the land.
“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.
He said that NIWA had consciously increased the number of its marshals at jetties from 80 to 350 to cover the entire country, aimed towards resolving the issue in the short term, adding that the agency has embarked on a rigorous campaign both at the jetties and via the media.
Oyebamiji mentioned that at least two marshals are at jetties per time daily, observing morning and night shifts, stressing that, the campaign was being established in both English and the local languages of the communities covered.
The campaign is focused on enlightening the boat operators and passengers on the pains and consequences of night travel, overloading, and not using life jackets etc.
Oyebamiji said the agency was liaising with the Presidency and Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, to replace wooden boats nationwide with better alternatives, adding that, the long-term goal is to phase out wooden boats from operation.
“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.
He vowed that the agency would continue to push by applying education, enlightenment, and sanction, where need be, until there are zero fatalities on our waterways.
“There is so much we would have had to do in this regard while we hope that all stakeholders will start playing by the rules” he said.
