Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that Passengers in Lagos are increasingly abandoning fibre boats for cheaper but risky wooden alternatives at the various jetties, despite the high risks posed by wooden boats.
According to stakeholders, the surge in fuel costs and the ripple effects of subsidy removal have forced many Lagos residents to abandon fibre boats in favour of cheaper wooden boats.
Our correspondent who visited some Lagos jetties last week, observed that wooden boats had taken over operations while fibre boats were abandoned, with little or no patronage. At Liverpool, CMS and Mile Two Jetties, only a handful of passengers, mostly those able to afford the higher fares, still charter fibre boats for private trips.
For many working-class residents of Lagos, the state-owned Lagos Ferry (Lagferry) remains the only modern and subsidized option, while the less privileged, especially market women and school children from the riverine communities, have turned to wooden boats as their only affordable means of water transport.
Our correspondent gathered that unlike fibre boats, which are powered by engines ranging from 100 to 150 horsepower and built for speed and stability, wooden boats rely on small outboard engines of 10 to 15 horsepower. They move slowly, offer no protection from sun or rain, and expose passengers to considerable risks of capsizing, drowning, and harsh weather.
However, the fares of wooden boats on a five-minute voyage from Liverpool to neighbouring riverine villages cost about N400, compared to about N700 on fibre boats, hence they continue to draw more patronage.
During our visits to the CMS/Marina Jetty on Lagos Island, there are little or no boats loading passengers to Badagry or Port Norvo as wooden boasts cannot ply those long distant areas. Such boats are only available on Saturdays and Sundays to Takway bay.
Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Liverpool Jetty branch, Comrade Ayeyemi Omosuyi, told Shipping Position Daily last week that the majority of boats currently loading at the jetty are wooden boats. According to him, fibre boats have lost significant patronage because many passengers, especially those from riverine communities, cannot afford the higher fares.
He added that wooden boats are mostly used for short-distance trips, because long-distance routes are no longer profitable unless passengers charter a fibre boat. To balance operations, fibre boats are sometimes allowed to load just six passengers after two wooden boats have taken their turn.
While acknowledging the safety risks of wooden boats, Omosuyi stressed that phasing them out completely may not be easy. He explained that many boat operators depend on the business as their only source of livelihood.
“Majority of the boats that load here are wooden boats. Fibre boats do not have many customers again because of the high cost of fuel and running costs. The wooden boats charge N400, while fibre boats charge N700 to the riverine communities around Liverpool.
“Most of the operators are not educated, and transporting people on these wooden boats is how they feed their families. Except the government intervenes by providing more fibre boats, probably on hire purchase, and also addresses the high cost of fuel, wooden boats will remain the only option for many in the riverine areas,” Omosuyi explained.
Also speaking, Public Relations Officer of the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN), Chief Raymond Gold, told our correspondent that before the removal of subsidy, water travel from Liverpool to Badagry cost about N3,000, making it a preferred alternative to the poor and congested road network at the time.
Gold also shed light on the persistence of wooden boats at Lagos jetties, stressing that they only ply short distances across the creeks and riverine communities. According to him, only those with no other option now use fibre boats, while others either charter boats at high costs or stick to road transport despite the inconvenience.
The WABOTAN spokesman further noted that while government has made efforts to introduce larger and safer ferries, high operating costs continue to make fibre boats unaffordable for many passengers. He called for targeted government support for the water transport sector similar to subsidies granted to road transport operators.
“Long before the removal of fuel subsidy, passengers preferred water transport because it was affordable and faster compared to the traffic on the Badagry road. But since subsidy removal and the attendant inflation, fares have jumped from N3,000 to N5,000. It’s not easy. In those days, we had about nine boats going to Badagry. Today, there is almost no business, because passengers can no longer afford it.
On his part, Secretary of the Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Mr. Ayomikun Aworetan, said the situation has become evident even at the popular CMS Jetty. He attributed the decline in fibre boat usage to the high cost of fuel, which has significantly increased operating expenses. With road transport now offering improved accessibility, many passengers have abandoned the waterways.
Aworetan also observed that although Lagferry, a government-subsidised water transport agency, still provides services, not everyone can afford its fares. According to him, fibre boat operations have dropped drastically, with boats now only operating routes to Tarkwa Bay on weekends. He noted that while a few boats still ply the CMS–Ikorodu route, the fares are highly expensive and beyond the reach of average passengers.
