The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced plans to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s inland waterways to improve safety and reduce accident rates.
According to NIWA’s Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, wooden boats account for over 90% of the vessels and are a leading cause of accidents due to issues like nighttime travel, overloading, and lack of safety equipment.
To mitigate these risks, NIWA has increased the number of marshals at jetties across the country and launched a multilingual safety campaign, educating boat operators and passengers on the dangers of unsafe practices.
The agency is also working closely with the Presidency and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to introduce safer boat alternatives.
Additional patrol boats and support from the Nigerian Navy are part of NIWA’s plan to enforce compliance with safety standards, as Oyebamiji emphasized the goal of achieving zero fatalities on the waterways through education, awareness, and enforcement.
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