Still on boat accidents

IN a bid to curb the rising cases of boat accidents among communities, the Sokoto State government distributed 20 motorised boats and 2,000 lifejackets for use by rural dwellers across the state last week. Speaking at the distribution ceremony held in Dundaye village of Wamakko Local Government Area, Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the initiative was aimed at safeguarding the lives and property of riverside dwellers who depend largely on water transportation for their daily activities. His words: “We were touched by the recent cases of boat accidents recorded in some local government areas which claimed lives and destroyed property. I want to use this medium to warn captains of these boats to desist from overloading. Anyone found doing so will be dealt with accordingly.” He directed the chairmen of the benefiting local government areas to ensure proper maintenance and security of the boats at all times, stressing that the huge investment must be protected. The governor also appealed to passengers to cooperate with boat captains by abiding by the rules and regulations governing the use of the boats so that the set objectives could be achieved. Last week, the state police command confirmed that 10 people lost their lives in a boat accident in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of the state. The victims were said to be fleeing from an impending attack by bandits in Zalla Bango, a remote village in the council, when the incident occurred.

In a related development, on Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Minna operations office, engaged stakeholders on measures to curb the incessant boat accidents in Niger State. According to Hussaini Isah, head of the NEMA Minna Operations Office, the objective was to share expertise, experiences and valuable insights on boat mishap prevention and response strategies. He said:“Boat accidents and other hydrological hazards have posed a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic, social, and environmental well-being. Let us work together to build a more resilient Nigeria, where communities are better informed, better prepared, and better equipped to withstand and recover from any form of emergency or boat accident.”

Actually, the Niger State government has been keen to emphasise that its collaboration with the Federal Government is enhancing safety on the state’s inland waterways. Like the Sokoto State government has just done, it also deployed eight fibre boats to coastal communities to replace wooden boats. Last month, it distributed 3,700 life jackets to curb boat accidents. Speaking with journalists who were on a fact-finding mission in the state over the troubling issue of boat accidents nationwide, the Niger State Commissioner for Transport, Hajia Hadiza Idris Kuta, said the recent provision of 3,700 life jackets by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) had already saved lives in the state. According to her, the state government is complementing this intervention with additional safety measures, and has introduced stricter safety measures, including a ban on night travel and overcrowding of boats. She added that the state government had distributed eight fibre boats to coastal communities as part of a phased plan to replace wooden boats and ban night travel, and had ordered more life jackets. According to her,  areas like Nupeko, Muregi, Shiroro, Kasabo, Malele, Muye and Gbajibo had received the fibre boats to complement other private boat operators in those riverside areas of the state. The gesture was also extended to the marine police.

To say the very least, the unending boat accidents paint a terrible picture of Nigeria’s waterways. Just this month, to take Niger State as an example, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that over 30 passengers died while 58 were rescued in a boat accident in the Gausawa area of the state. In July, a boat accident in Shiroro resulted in at least 25 casualties, including 10 members of the same family. The victims were headed to the Kwata-Zumba weekly market. In another incident, a boat capsized in Mokwa, claiming 13 souls. In May, a boat accident in Shiroro resulted in 28 deaths and seven missing persons. The boat had hit a tree stump with 100 passengers onboard. On October 1 last year, Gbajibo community was plunged into mourning after a wooden boat conveying over 300 people, mainly women and children from Mundi Local Government Area in Kwara State to Mokwa LGA, for the Eid-el Malud celebration, capsized. While 150 passengers managed to escape, 42 bodies were recovered through search and rescue operations carried out by emergency responders.

It is saddening that boat operators across the country continue to engage in the business with scant regard for safety measures. Overloading is an everyday occurrence, and death is routine in spite of the best efforts of NEMA and its state organs. Even when life jackets are provided, passengers refuse to use them, taking criminal advantage of the lax regulatory climate to flout the law at will. Besides, it is axiomatic that wooden boats serve very little purpose in an increasingly digital age, an age which vast communities in the country are yet to contemplate, let alone embrace. Given this situation, state governments have to stop the usual platitudes. Although the procurement of modern boats is a step in the right direction, adequacy is a key issue. Governors have been announcing the procurement of modern boats long before now, but the boats continue to dominate the waterways, bringing death and destruction to countless numbers of people. Clearly, a modern boat here and another there won’t do: there must be a comprehensive modernisation effort that takes in the entire gamut of what is needed to turn the waterways into an efficient, safe and affordable transport system that ends up giving travellers a pleasant experience on the waters. In this regard, private sector participation is crucial. In a country where trucks regularly crush commuters, improving transport on the waterways can prove to be life-saving.

Again, the issue of compliance with extant laws should be taken much more seriously.  In August, worried by the rising incidents of boat accidents, the Niger State government vowed to commence sanctioning and prosecuting boat operators for not adhering to the use of life jackets. It is time to walk the talk. Boat operators and passengers who don’t want to wear life jackets have no business using the waterways. If anything, the astounding number of casualties of this bad practice calls for stricter action by governments across the country. A stitch in time still saves lives, even in 2025.

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