By
Mon May 24 2021
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN) Limited have forged a strategy to strengthen safety on the waterways.
This is in line with both organisations’ drive to rid the waterways of illegal operators while reducing accidents among jetty operators.
Daily Trust recalls that NIWA’s inter-agency committee recently clamped down on six unseaworthy barges operating illegally on Lagos inland waterways, while three illegal jetties were sealed.
This followed the increasing reports of abuses of processes in the operation of barges and private jetties.
The inter-agency committee comprises representatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); NIWA and the Lagos State Inland Waterways Authority (LASWA).
ANAMBRA 2021: THE CONTENDERS AND PRETENDERS thebreakingtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thebreakingtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Chairman of boat operators in the area, Malam Saleh Alsam (Sarkin Girigi), said the six-month-old boat capsized because it hit a tree trunk thereby causing some of the firewood in the boat to fall into the river and water consequently entering the boat. He said 70 people, including the two boat operators, survived. 80 lives have been lost in different boat accidents in the past four years in Niger State.
It would be recalled that in 2020, a total of 102 lives were lost in boat mishaps across six states in the country: Anambra, Cross River, Bauchi, Lagos, Benue and Sokoto; with Bauchi having the highest fatality figure of 33 in two accidents. Lagos ranked second with 25 lives lost in three mishaps. Before the latest mishap in Niger State, a boat mishap in which one life was lost was recorded on March 22, 2021, on the Badagry water channel in Lagos.
Niger State has in the last few years experienced many boat mishaps which claimed many lives. Most of these mishaps have been largely attributed to the traditional method being used by people living in riverine communities because of poverty and the failure of relevant authorities, particularly, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to regulate activities of passenger ferry and boat operators on the waterways.
Overloading of passengers and goods; night voyages by ferry operators; obstructions on waterways; violation of route usage; faulty boat and ferry engines; non usage of life jackets and other life-saving appliances, amongst others are some of the factors responsible for the mishaps.
By Godfrey Bivbere
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has charged local barge operators to up their game to prevent foreign shipping lines who are investing in the acquisition of foreign classed barges from taking over their business.
Speaking in Lagos, Head Maritime Safety, Engr. Olu Aladenusi, noted that most Nigerian barge operators do not have classed facilities and some are not even the owners of the barges that they are operating with.
Aladenusi was responding to Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Hassan Bello, who said barge operators are complaining about foreigners taking over the operation in contravention of the Cabotage law.