The Niger State Government said boat mishaps have resulted in 182 fatalities between 2022 and 2024.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, disclosed this during the observance of World Maritime Day in Minna, where 33 fibreglass boats were distributed by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC).
Governor Bago said the fatalities included 95 lives lost in 2022, 68 in 2023 and 19 in 2024.
He emphasised the urgent need for strict enforcement of water transport regulations to safeguard lives and property.
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Earlier, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, noted that fibreglass boats are safer than their wooden counterparts.
He attributed the frequent boat mishaps to factors such as tree logs, overloading, and night travel.
Yelwa highlighted the commission’s efforts to mitigate these incidents, including the distribution of life jackets.
He outlined the allocation of boats to various states based on their water bodies: Kaduna and Gombe will each receive one boat, Nasarawa and Taraba two each, Benue three, Kwara and Kogi four each, Kebbi six, and Niger State will receive eight boats.
Alhaji Attahiru Isah, Chairman of the Niger State Boat Operators, called for the establishment of rescue marshals to ensure prompt responses to accidents when they occur.
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