Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has investigated over 10 maritime incidents in 2025, covering major mishaps across waterways at the Niger and Benue rivers, as the agency continues to push for stricter stakeholder compliance with safety regulations.
The Bureau, formerly known as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), was restructured under the 2022 Establishment Act into a multimodal accident investigation agency covering air, marine, rail, pipeline, and land transport sectors. The 2022 NSIB Establishment Act expanded the Bureau’s mandate beyond aviation to cover all modes of transport, including marine, rail, road, and pipeline.
Unlike regulatory bodies such as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the NSIB is expected to conduct independent, non-punitive safety investigations to determine the causes of accidents and make recommendations to prevent future occurrences.
Speaking exclusively with Shipping Position Daily last week a Marine Safety Investigator in charge of Maritime Investigations of the NSIB, Captain Stan Igwe (rtd) disclosed that the Bureau has investigated between eight and ten maritime incidents this year.
According to him, some of the notable cases include incidents at Minna in Niger state, Ocholonya in Benue State, Kogi, Bida, Sokoto and other states.
For instance, he noted that in NSIB Investigated the Benue State’s Agatu LGA boat mishap, where an overloaded canoe carrying traders returning from Ocholonya market capsized on the River Benue, leading to the deaths of over 20 people and rescuing about 50, with some missing, highlighting serious issues with overloading and poor safety on local waterways.
Captain Igwe also stated that a significant boat mishap occurred in Kogi State in late September/early October 2025 in the Ibaji Local Government Area on the River Niger, where an overloaded boat carrying around 80 passengers capsized, leading to multiple deaths (over 30 confirmed) and dozens rescued or missing, with ongoing rescue efforts and a call for stricter safety enforcement, including life jacket usage. In the incident, he highlighted issues like overloading and lack of life jackets, prompting government action and appeals for support.
The Marine Safety Investigator stress that while NSIB has released preliminary and interim reports for several of these cases online on their official website, the bureau is still compiling comprehensive statistics, which are expected to be available by March 2026.
Captain Igwe further emphasized the importance of regulatory compliance by maritime stakeholders, particularly in line with the River Code issued by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). “NIWA is doing well because of the River Code they have come out with. So, what we are looking at now is how the stakeholders are complying with those regulations.”
“After collecting evidence, we analyze it carefully before issuing interim reports, which outline the likelihood of what happened. The final reports will be more detailed,” Captain Igwe explained.
As the year closes, the NSIB urged maritime operators and stakeholders to prioritize safety measures and regulatory compliance, ensuring that waterways remain secure for transport and commerce. However, observers suggest that continuous monitoring, stricter enforcement of existing regulations, and proactive stakeholder engagement are critical steps to reducing maritime incidents in Nigeria’s waterways.
