The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is battling rising hostility and even violent pushback from riverine communities in Niger and Kwara states as it steps up enforcement of safety measures to stem the tide of deadly boat accidents.
Findings by Shipping Position Daily revealed that NIWA’s flagship safety campaign—“No Life Jacket, No Travel”—introduced under the 2023 Inland Waterways Transportation Code, has become a flashpoint of resistance, where locals openly flout the rules, with many dismissing life jackets as unnecessary, claiming their birth and upbringing on the waters make them immune to danger. Some have mocked the jackets as mere “singlets” and, in extreme cases, turned violent against NIWA enforcement teams.
NIWA’s Niger-Kwara Area Manager, Mr. Akapo Adeboye, described the defiance as the most formidable barrier to curbing accidents on waterways. “The people resist because of attitude. They believe they don’t need life jackets. Sometimes they show strong resistance, even violence, when our officers enforce these rules,” he lamented.
The situation is further compounded by natural hazards. Adeboye identified submerged trees in the Old Bussa axis of Kainji Lake, which is often exposed by fluctuating water levels—as one of the deadliest threats to navigation. “When water levels change, these hidden obstacles cause capsizing, especially at night. Many accidents happen because operators underestimate the risks,” he explained.
In response, NIWA, working with the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), has embarked on clearing submerged trees, deploying buoys to mark safe routes, and considering floating jetties to cope with River Niger’s shifting currents.
To deepen awareness, safety campaigns have been tailored to local realities, with officers using Nupe, Bassa, Yoruba, and Gwari languages respectively to spread the messages. Loudspeakers are deployed in markets on busy days, but the challenges still persist. Life jackets distributed freely by government are often sold-off or repurposed as bedding and farm equipment.
To tighten enforcement, NIWA has rolled out boarding manifests for passengers and cargo manifests for goods, alongside the deployment of river marshals in 30 communities, each equipped with trained divers for emergency rescues. The agency also works with Marine Police, Civil Defence, and the DSS to prosecute offenders who travel without life jackets or engage in night voyages.
Adeboye stressed that while conditions have improved with more patrol boats, safety stations, and live buoys, community cooperation remains the missing link. “We cannot achieve zero fatalities, unless the people accept these safety rules. For now, the greatest risk is not the river, it is the refusal of communities to comply,” he warned.
