The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on loading activities at unauthorized jetties and loading points in a bid to reduce boat accidents and improve safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Dr. Bola Oyebamiji, announced the directive during a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday.
“NIWA has placed an immediate ban on all loading activities at unauthorized locations across the country,” Oyebamiji said. “No commercial passenger boat will be permitted to load from any point not recognized and registered by NIWA.”
He emphasized the agency’s commitment to enforcing safety regulations, stating that all commercial boat operators must provide lifejackets and ensure passengers wear them at all times. Additionally, every commercial vessel must clearly display its name and load line markings.
The NIWA boss also ordered the immediate removal of all unlicensed boats and watercraft from Nigeria’s waterways and banned unlicensed individuals from operating any form of passenger or cargo boats.
These measures come amid growing concerns over frequent and deadly boat accidents. In August, more than 40 people were reported missing after a boat mishap in Sokoto. Just a year earlier, at least 16 farmers lost their lives when a wooden canoe capsized in the same state while ferrying them to their rice farms.
Experts have attributed the recurring tragedies to poor regulatory enforcement and widespread neglect of basic safety protocols.
