NIWA targets 80% waterways accident reduction, sensitises operators, passengers

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Tuesday intensified safety inspections of boats operating on Lagos inland waterways, introducing quarterly checks for smaller vessels and threatening to impound boats whose operators fail to comply with registration and safety inspection requirements.

Disclosing this during a sensitisation of passengers and boat operators at the Liverpool Jetty in Lagos, the NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engineer Sarat Braimah, warned that stricter enforcement was necessary to reduce accidents and improve safety across the waterways.

The NIWA Lagos Area Manager, who was represented by the Head of Marine Department, NIWA Lagos, Elsie Egwuatu, stressed that human error remains a major cause of boat accidents, making continuous sensitisation of boat operators and passengers essential to preventing avoidable incidents.

She explained that NIWA had moved beyond annual inspections to quarterly checks for smaller boats because of their vulnerability to wear and tear from continuous exposure to water.

“We do quarterly inspection for boats like this kind of their boats because we notice that the wear and tear of the water has more impact on smaller boats,” she said.

Sarat Braimah added that the authority will impound boats belonging to operators who fail to meet registration and inspection requirements, warning that enforcement would become more aggressive.

She also defended the N95,000 fee for training required to obtain a boat captain’s licence, describing the cost as an investment in the technical knowledge needed to improve safety.

She explained that the initial training fee was a one-off payment, while subsequent licence renewals, valid every three years, cost N16,500.

The NIWA official urged boat operators to comply with the certification requirements, noting that the authority had given them sufficient time to prepare for stricter enforcement.

The NIWA Lagos Area Manager further cautioned operators against sailing at night and boat overloading, and warned boat captains against operating vessels under the influence of alcohol.

She reiterated the importance of life jackets for passengers and operators, urging all waterways users to observe established safety rules and regulations.

ALSO READ: Reps seek tougher sanctions against fake food producers, adulterated drink dealers

On the environment, Braimah condemned indiscriminate waste disposal into waterways and the construction of toilets over them, describing environmental sanitation as an important component of safe and sustainable inland water transportation.

She disclosed that an initiative to provide waste bins at jetties had been launched, with plans to extend the facilities across the network to discourage the dumping of refuse into the water.

The safety awareness campaign, she said, forms part of NIWA’s continuing engagement with waterways users across Lagos, including Liverpool, Ipakodo, Marina, and other jetties.

She further called on stakeholders to report unsafe practices and regulatory violations, emphasising that cooperation between the public and the authority would strengthen enforcement and make inland waterways transportation safer.