Dr Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), says enactment of necessary regulations and strict enforcement will check incidences of boat mishaps on the country’s waterways.
Akutah, who spoke recently with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said most of the mishaps happened at night because of the difficulty in navigating during the night hours due to darkness.
“This borders on regulation, and then enforcement of those regulations. That is why the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has been calling for the establishment of coast guards.
“Coast guards will be responsible for providing security and enforcement of regulations in the inland waterways.
“I know that as soon as that coast guard bill passes the National Assembly and is assented, the minister will move swiftly to do something about the establishment of coast guards,” he said.
Akutah said that the coast guards would help in the enforcement of the regulations against night navigation of inland waterways.
According to him, coast guards will also reduce or manage boat mishaps and enhance safety on our waterways.
He said that the Federal Government also planned to start manufacturing boats in the country to phase out the ones that were easily exposed to accidents.
Akutah said that the ministry and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) were collaborating to check accidents on the inland waterways.
“The minister is looking at a new way of making boats in Nigeria so that we can phase out all these rickety wooden boats that are very easy to capsize.
“Most countries, even within Africa, have started fabricating boats and professionalising the act of fabricating boats.
“In the blueprint that the minister has just unveiled, there are plans to fabricate proper boats with the right specifications,” he said.
