Ministry, NIWA donate boats, water ambulance to Niger
The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of 42,000 life jackets to 12 selected riverine states to curb the alarming rate of boat mishaps and fatalities in the country’s waterways.
Each of the beneficiary states is expected to receive 3,500 life jackets in the first phase of the strategic safety intervention by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
The minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, who, yesterday, officially flagged off the distribution in Minna, Niger State, said that the initiative was one of the most comprehensive government’s responses in recent times to the persistent loss of lives on Nigeria’s waterways.
Oyetola, citing the rising incidence of mishaps as human error, poor equipment and non-compliance with safety measures, called the trend a national emergency and stressed the urgent need for collective action.
He also highlighted government’s introduction of the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations, 2023, also known as the Waterways Transportation Code, aimed at standardising operations, enforcing compliance and creating a more structured environment for investment and safety.
Also speaking, the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, lauded the minister for launching the campaign in the state.
He described the state as a “critical focal point” in the battle against waterway mishaps, saying that Niger State recorded the highest casualties from boat accidents in 2024.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Olufemi Oloruntola, reiterated the importance of wearing life jackets, noting that while vessel owners and operators are legally responsible for providing them, the government has stepped in to bridge the gap.
Meanwhile, Niger State Commissioner for Transport, Hadiza Idris Kuta, expressed appreciation to the ministry for donating three passenger boats, a water ambulance, and a patrol boat, in addition to the life jackets, through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to bolster the state’s marine safety efforts.
