Niger donates five boats to riverine communities

Niger State Government has presented five metal fifty-seater boats to riverine communities to forestall frequent boat accidents that claimed lives.

Special Adviser on Digital Media and Strategy to the Niger State governor, Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo, disclosed this while speaking to Prestige FM Radio Minna after the presentation in Wuya community of Gbako local council.

Ebbo explained that the Niger State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) delivered the boats as part of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s initiative to ensure safer inland water transportation, support agricultural activities, and enhance the safety of residents.

He stressed that the Project Coordinator of CSDA, Aisha Abdulkadir, revealed that the communities requested the intervention due to the dangers posed by the wooden boats previously used, which were prone to damage and not durable on water.

During the handover of the operational code to the local council chairman, Commissioner for Transport, Hadiza Kuta, highlighted the importance of enforcing water travel regulations and warned that violators would face prosecution.

Representatives of the communities appreciated Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s foresight to curb future boat mishaps in the state.

Recently, over 100 people from the state died in a dastardly boat mishap at the Gbajibo community in Mokwa local council of the state, hence the government’s intervention to prevent future reoccurrence.