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The Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Umar Yusuf Girei, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Nigeria’s inland waterways through tougher regulations, stakeholder engagement and continuous public awareness.
Girei made this known on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the NIWA headquarters in Lokoja by the management of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), where both agencies pledged to collaborate more closely to curb the growing cases of boating accidents across the country.
He noted that NIWA’s core mandate includes ensuring safe navigation on waterways, stressing that many of the recorded accidents are largely due to human factors such as negligence, overloading and failure to comply with safety measures.
According to him, the authority has intensified awareness campaigns to educate maritime transport users on the importance of adhering to safety guidelines, especially the mandatory use of life jackets.
“We work tirelessly to ensure a safe boating season every year. The majority of accidents that occur on our waterways are caused by human error, which is why we are aggressively raising public awareness,” he said.
Girei also revealed that NIWA will deepen its collaboration with the NSIB to develop strategies to prevent accidents and improve safety standards across the nation’s waterways.
He warned against the dangers of overloading vessels and traveling at night, urging operators and passengers to strictly comply with safety regulations to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
“We will continue to advise water users to navigate safely, avoid overloading and refrain from night travel. Safety must be everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
The NIWA chief also highlighted the agency’s inclusive approach, stressing that all stakeholders are involved in its security initiatives to ensure effective compliance and shared responsibility.
To address persistent accidents on waterways, Girei revealed that NIWA is strengthening enforcement of its transportation code, adding that violators will face stiff penalties.
“The regulatory framework is already in place and harmonized. We are now moving to full enforcement to curb the threat to our waterways,” he said.
In his address, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Captain Alex Badeh Junior, expressed concern over the growing number of casualties on Nigeria’s waterways, stressing the need for urgent collaboration with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to address the menace.
According to him, the visit was aimed at exploring areas of collaboration that would ensure safer navigation and significantly reduce the high rate of accidents on boats resulting in loss of life.
While underlining the importance of sustained public information and support, he urged NIWA to intensify awareness campaigns on safety regulations to ensure compliance among waterway users, stressing that part of the collaboration would involve strengthening regulatory frameworks, capacity building and technical support for NIWA staff.
“We will provide training to NIWA staff and support the Authority in strengthening its regulatory processes. We also intend to lobby for increased funding, as enforcement and public lighting are capital-intensive,” he said.
The NSIB DG, while stressing the need for strict compliance with safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets by passengers, described it as a key factor in reducing casualties during accidents, warning against night travel on waterways.
“The majority of accidents occur in the evening and we will work with NIWA to discourage night boating. We will also support efforts to educate the public on the importance of always wearing life jackets on waterways,” he said.
The collaboration between NSIB and NIWA is expected to improve safety standards, reduce accidents and save lives in Nigeria’s inland waterways.
