Marine coastguards seek NIMASA, NIWA’s collaboration to combat drowning

The Nigerian Marine Coast Guards Volunteer Service (NMCGVS) has called for effective collaboration among agencies of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to expand its network of search and rescue operations across the country to combat drowning.

The group made this call during the commemoration of the United Nations World Drowning Prevention Day, celebrated on July 25 each year.

The Chief Commanding Officer of NMCGVS, Capt. Isaac Adamolekun, a marine specialist, emphasised that effective coordination and collaboration are crucial for the success of search and rescue operations, noting that one of the main challenges is the flexibility of the environment in which the group operates.

He said the group, which has been adopted into the National Maritime Search and Rescue Committee of Nigeria, has yet to receive support and collaboration response from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) despite a series of letters requesting assistance to combat drowning on the waterways.

Adamolekun stated that data collected since 2012 shows that many states in Nigeria are prone to flood disasters, adding that the volunteer service needs to increase efforts toward rescuing people from drowning and aquatic predators.

He noted that NMCGVS is proactive in mitigating the dangers associated with the terrain and that with adequate professional training in swimming and seamanship skills, the marine coastguards are poised to continue their service across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adamolekun called on international organisations, the federal and state governments, and other stakeholders to provide the necessary structure, adequate resources for funding, and professional equipment needed to make the group’s work successful.

He appealed to the relevant bodies and organisations to aid NMCGVS in expanding its network across the country, enabling their personnel to establish fixed bases as a key body in the drive for rescue operations at national and regional levels.

“Our members are all rescue swimmers, and they excel at this. However, we still need more equipment to do our job because our rescue operations are not restricted to swimming pools alone but extend to large bodies of water, shallow waters, rivers, lagoons, oceans, and flood-prone states,” he stated.

The guest speaker, Capt. Femi Daramola, noted that search and rescue operations require the collaboration of different agencies and organisations, including emergency response teams, medical teams and volunteer organisations.

Daramola, a retired Nigerian Navy officer, emphasised the need for upgrading NMCGVS to enable it to carry out rescue operations effectively and highlighted the essentials of learning rescue skills as a basic necessity for everyone.

He urged people to wear life jackets, avoid overloading marine crafts and refrain from operating marine vehicles under the influence of alcohol.