In response to the rise in cases of boat accidents claiming lives, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has mandated boat operators in the Lagos area to install speedometers, three lifebuoys, and engage a diver per boat for enhanced waterways safety.
The NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, delivered the authoritative directive during an engagement with boat operators and stakeholders on Wednesday at the Authority’s Lagos Area Office.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of boat operators, Braimah emphasized the need for adherence to basic safety measures. She underscored the importance of speedometers for monitoring boat speed, lifebuoys for emergencies, and the presence of a diver as a life-saver, particularly in incidents caused by human errors or faulty engines.
In the wake of two recent accidents attributed to recklessness, Braimah regretted the lack of proper maintenance, revealing that over 75 percent of boats inspected were not seaworthy. Approved boats in Ikorodu were limited to those passing stringent inspections, prompting the relocation of others for further scrutiny.
Braimah criticized operators for neglecting maintenance and highlighted the prevalence of boats exceeding their lifespan.
“Going forward, boats must have speedometers. This will enable laymen (passengers) to know when the boats are over-speeding. We want to ensure that they have lifebuoys on the boat, so if there is an incident, lifebuoys can be thrown into the water for the victims.”
“Most passengers wear lifejacket, but take it off when they are on the boat. There must be a life-saver (diver), that is, someone that can swim, apart from the captain. We call them lifeguards on the boat in case of accidents.”
“From these two accidents that have happened this year, we’ve been able to analyse our investigations and we saw that most are by human errors. I mean maintenance of the boat itself because most of them have faulty engines.”
“At Ikorodu, we inspected and approved 10 boats yesterday and only those approved will be allowed to operate for now. All other boats have been instructed to move to our base at Ikorodu for inspection. Most of them are single hull boats that cannot withstand stress. Over 75 percent of the boats aren’t seaworthy; they are scraps,” Braimah regretted.
On his part, the President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Alhaji Tarzan Gani Balogun appealed to the NIWA Area Manager to advocate for the Federal Government’s to procure quality boats.
Balogun assured that operators would refund the loans within three years if the government accedes to their plea.
“Today, the cheapest boat for waterways can’t be purchased for less than N6million. We appeal to government through the Blue Economy Ministry to acquire these boats. The money will be refunded. This will help promote a better water transport system and reduce the risk of accidents by low quality boats,” Balogun said.
