About eight months after the Federal Government unveiled the Inland Waterways Transport Code to enhance safety and reduce boat mishaps, compliance among boat operators, passengers and other stakeholders appears to be waning.

Following the launch by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) initiated sensitisation campaigns across all jetties nationwide and distributed copies of the transport code to waterways users.

The Inland Waterways Transport Code outlines strict safety requirements, including the mandatory use of life jackets by all passengers and crew, vessel registration and periodic safety inspections, licensing of boat operators, enforcement of passenger limits and restrictions on night travel.

As part of enforcement measures, NIWA mandated that passenger manifests be properly filled and verified before departure and that a compulsory safety briefing be conducted before setting sail.

The authority also prohibited activities that could destabilise boats in motion and required all passengers to wear life jackets while onboard. Additionally, boat operators were instructed to cease operations by 6 PM and passengers were strongly advised against traveling on waterways at night.

To ensure compliance, NIWA deployed marshals across jetties to monitor adherence to the regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations carries penalties ranging from fines to the suspension of operational licenses.

However, enforcement has been inconsistent and many boat operators and passengers continue to disregard these rules with impunity.

Poor safety measures persist
Nigeria has an estimated 10,000 kilometres of waterways, with over 3,000 kilometres navigable, providing access to 28 out of 36 states. However, poor safety measures on inland waterways have resulted in frequent boat accidents and loss of lives.

At several jetties, passengers are not provided with manifests to record their details, and many fail to wear life jackets while onboard boats and ferries. When The Guardian took a ferry to and fro the CMS Jetty to Flour Mill Jetty in Apapa and Liverpool Jetty, passengers were not issued manifests.

Additionally, some passengers merely held their life jackets in their hands instead of wearing them. Yet, they were neither stopped nor questioned by boat operators or marshals stationed at the jetties.

Moreover, some wooden boat operators are bent on distributing outdated life jackets to their passengers, compromising safety. The Guardian also observed that the mandatory pre-departure safety talk, as stipulated by NIWA, was not conducted. Instead, marketers selling herbal products dominated the announcements, focusing solely on promoting their goods.

Rising concerns
While 2024 witnessed frequent boat mishaps, 2025 has seen fewer incidents. However, on January 19, a boat carrying 22 passengers from Port Harcourt capsized near the Yellow Platform close to Bonny Island, Rivers State, at approximately 5:00 PM.

Nineteen passengers were rescued, but three lost their lives. Later that month, another boat carrying eight policemen and one civilian capsized near the Agbura community in Bayelsa while en route to Yenagoa.

At a recent one-day consultative forum organised by the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN) in Lagos, Kiniyi Edubio, the Western Zone District Surveyor of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), presented the 2024 statistics on boat accidents. He revealed that 787 deaths were recorded across Lagos, Rivers, Niger and Borno States due to factors such as the use of unseaworthy boats, overloading, night sailing and poor visibility.

Similarly, a Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) representative, Sunday Ukeme, identified human error, mechanical failures and poor infrastructure as key contributors to boat mishaps. He emphasised the need for standardised boat designs, real-time monitoring systems and upgraded jetty facilities.

In response to rising fatalities, the Federal Government recently set up a committee to address the crisis and prevent further boat accidents. The committee, inaugurated by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is led by the Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji.

Their primary mandate includes reviewing commercial boat operations, identifying the root causes of accidents and recommending long-term solutions.
Oyetola acknowledged that recurrent boat mishaps have become a serious challenge for Nigeria’s waterways, which are crucial for commerce, transportation and livelihoods.

Safer waterways
Industry experts have outlined critical measures that the government and the newly established committee must adopt to ensure safer waterways for the thousands of commuters who rely on water transport daily. For Nigeria to reduce boat accidents and improve water transport safety, a collaborative effort is required from government agencies, boat operators, and passengers.

As the country continues to battle non-compliance and weak enforcement, key recommendations include stricter enforcement of the Inland Waterways Transport Code, harsher penalties for violators, inter-agency collaboration, human capital development, and investment in safety infrastructure to curb further tragedies.

The Dean of the Faculty at City University, Cambodia, Prof. Alfred Oniye, emphasised the need for regular and intensive training for marshals, which should equip them with the necessary skills to enforce the code effectively, understand penalties and handle non-compliance professionally. He also called for deploying more patrol boats and 24-hour monitoring in critical areas to detect and deter violations promptly.

Although NIWA has conducted sensitisation campaigns, Oniye urged the agency to relaunch nationwide awareness programmes that target boat operators and passengers. He suggested using media outlets, community meetings and signage at jetties to reinforce safety messaging and highlight the severe consequences of violations.

Oniye proposed heavy fines, suspension of operational licenses and legal action against repeat offenders to ensure swift and effective penalties. He also recommended introducing GPS tracking for boats and digital reporting systems for marshals to monitor activities and report violations in real-time.

Additionally, he advocated for an anonymous reporting system where passengers and operators could report non-compliance and lax enforcement, holding officials accountable.

Partner with local governments, community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure grassroots support for the code enforcement. Regularly review the effectiveness of the enforcement strategies and make necessary adjustments based on feedback and observed challenges,” he stated.

The Chairman and Chief Consultant of Global Transport Policy, Dr Oluwasegun Musa, underscored the urgent need for better collaboration between regulatory authorities. He identified the lack of synergy between the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) as a key challenge.

Rather than competing, Musa urged the agencies to work cooperatively to ensure effective governance of inland waterways. Key recommendations for safer waterways, as highlighted by Musa, include enhancing navigational apparatus within coastal and inland waterways to prevent accidents and deploying ambulances and rapid response units along major waterways for swift intervention during accidents.

Musa also suggested affordable safety equipment, such as introducing government incentives to reduce the cost of life jackets and other essential safety tools, making them accessible to boat operators.He also stressed implementing mandatory training programmes for water transport operators and passengers to reinforce safety protocols.

The European Code for Inland Waterways (CEVNI) states that “Vessels shall be manned by a sufficient number of persons qualified for the safe navigation and operation of the vessel.”

He emphasised that Nigeria must prioritise the training and certification of boat operators and crew members to align with global safety standards. Musa expressed confidence that implementing these measures would significantly improve water transport safety and encourage greater adherence to the Inland Waterways Transport Code.

The Managing Director of GTCOOP Global Alliance, Dorcas Aderemi, advocated for stricter enforcement of safety protocols, including mandatory life jackets for all passengers, routine compliance checks for boat operators and increased financial investment in vessel maintenance to prevent mechanical failures.

Representing the Sustainable Waterways Awareness Advancement and Advocacy Organisation (SWAAADO), Raymond Gold urged the government to provide high-quality life jackets, upgrade jetties and infrastructure, and implement stricter operational guidelines for boat operators. Experts agree that Nigeria’s inland waterways will remain prone to tragedies without immediate and sustained intervention.