The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, yesterday in Abuja commissioned additional personnel of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to manage and boost waterways safety and security across the country.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ roundtable on safety and insecurities on waterways, the minister, who was represented by his technical aide, Stephen Fakinlede, said waterways safety personnel have now been increased to 350.
He said, “These officers have been further directed to begin 24-hour surveillance across major jetties’ loading points within the inland waterway, as it is illegal to use unregistered craft in our water. Every boat operator must be registered and certified by the relevant authority.
“Night sailing beyond 6pm and failure to use lifesaving gear such as life jackets are against the law. We now have 350 safety personnel as well as boat operators and divers who had already undergone training within the first half of the year,” he stated.
The Managing Director and CEO of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, in his address, urged state governments to assist in accelerating safety measures in areas such as the provision of standardised boats, jetty construction and training to ensure the hope is realised.
“The inland waterways have greater potential to transport passengers and goods than other modes of transportation, at a lower cost and faster.
“We have realigned hundreds of navigational buoys to mark channels for captains and boat operators, and we have begun steady improvements to our jetties and mooring facilities through the implementation of the 2024 budget,” he said.
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