NIWA to Replace Wooden Boats with Safer Fibre-Operated Vessels
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced plans to phase out old commercial wooden boats and introduce fibre-operated boats to enhance passenger safety on Nigeria’s waterways.
NIWA’s Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, disclosed this in Lokoja during the agency’s annual management retreat, which brought together area managers, deputy managers, union leaders and security personnel.
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“Our main target is to ensure passengers’ safety on our inland waterways. We don’t want boat mishaps again. The focus is not on sanctions but reducing the mishaps to the barest minimum. That is why we are replacing the old commercial boats plying our inland waterways with fibre-operated boats. This will become effective anytime from the first to the second quarter. We are also to engage in more advocacy visits to riverine areas with a view to educating residents and other stakeholders more on the safety of water passengers. We are also intensifying training for the divers to ensure that our passengers are adequately taken care of,” Oyebamiji stated.
He reassured stakeholders that NIWA is committed to improving safety measures while also boosting revenue generation through its offices nationwide. The new initiative is expected to significantly reduce boat mishaps and improve water transport efficiency in Nigeria.
