The recent boat mishaps in Benue and Kogi states have underscored the need for the National Inland Water Authorities (NIWA) to strictly enforce safety measures on the nation’s waterways. Unfortunately, the country has lost hundreds of people as a result of frequent boat accidents on Nigerian waters. In the Benue incident, which occurred on December 14, over 20 people were reportedly killed while their boat was crossing the River Benue in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The wooden boat, in which they were travelling, was reportedly overloaded. Despite the advice that some passengers should disembark, they remained adamant, saying that they were in a hurry to return home. Midway through the journey, the boat broke apart after hitting a tree, causing many of the passengers to drown.
Chairman of Agatu LGA, Mr. Melvin Ejeh, who confirmed the accident, said the victims were mainly Agatu traders from Odadu, Rukubi, Agbashi, Ajima, and other communities in Nasarawa State, who had gone to Ocholonya market to trade and were on their way back when the mishap occurred.
The Benue mishap occurred, barely two weeks after a similar accident involving no fewer than 200 market women and labourers from Kogi State on November 29. Head of NIWA’s Media Department, Suleman Makama, who confirmed the incident, stated that the women were travelling to a market in Niger State when the boat capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi section of the River Niger.
The tragic incident happened after a similar one occurred on the Muwo Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State on October 1, 2024. No fewer than 150 passengers were reportedly dead when the boat capsized. The boat was conveying the passengers from Mundi community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State after they celebrated the religious festival of Maulud Nabiyyi at Gbajibo village.
According to the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah, local divers succeeded in rescuing 150 of the 300 passengers on board.
A week after the Niger incident, at least 21 passengers were drowned on October 7, at Imore Town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, when two boats, each ferrying 16 passengers, collided and capsized in the middle of the lagoon. On September 14, at least 64 people died following a boat accident on a river in Zamfara State. The boat, which was carrying 70 farmers, capsized as it was transporting them across the river to reach their farmlands.
There are other ugly instances of boat mishaps across the country. The accidents have often been blamed on human errors and non-compliance to rules by the operators. NIWA, which regulates internal maritime transportation, alleges non-adherence to laws regulating inland waterways navigation as a major cause of the accident. Moving at night, over-loading and non-use of life jackets and indiscretion on the part of the boat operators are some of the factors that cause boat mishaps. Others are poor maintenance of boats, turbulent weather, mechanical failures, absence of navigational aids and non-availability of search and rescue services.
Each accident comes with huge loss in human and material resources. An investigation by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), on the incessant boat mishaps in Nigeria, estimated that over 300 lives were lost on the waterways in 2023. Given the rapidity of the accidents this year, the casualty figure must have outnumbered the 2023 figure.
The federal and state governments should evolve measures to curb the incessant accidents on the waterways. It is high time relevant measures were adopted to reduce accidents on our waterways. There is need for the regulatory authorities to ensure that the regulations guiding water transport are strictly observed. We urge the affected states to update the relevant laws governing waterways operations in their jurisdiction. The states should set up bodies that oversee water transportation to complement the regulatory oversights of NIWA.
Boat operators should desist from travelling at night and during turbulent weather conditions. They should be adequately trained. Severe sanctions must be meted to delinquent operators. There should be regulation on the quality of boats to be used for water transportation. The wooden boats should be replaced with fibre boats and modern ferries.