No life jacket, no boarding, NIWA tells boat passengers

Passengers travelling on Nigerian waterways without a life jacket will no longer be allowed to board. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) gave this warning.

The Authority said it is ready to enforce this directive to stem avoidable loss of lives due to boat mishaps on the nation’s waterways.

Mr. Akapo Adebayo, the Area Manager of the Niger-Kwara Area Office, gave the charge on Saturday while flagging off the 2025 sensitisation campaign on the safety of lives and property at Gabgibo community.

He said the directive is in line with inland waterways regulations..

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the campaign was tagged “Safety and Safe Trip: Zero Tolerance to Boat Mishap – No Life Jacket, No Boarding.”

The reports said the enforcement, which began at the Gabgibo waterfront in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger, is part of the authority’s efforts to reduce boat accidents and ensure safety on waterways.

Adeboye said the sensitisation aimed to enforce the use of life jackets by boat operators and passengers, adding that NIWA would no longer tolerate non-compliance.

“We are shifting from sensitisation to enforcement, and we expect all boat operators and passengers to comply,” he said.

The Area Manager reminded that the Authority had been carrying out sensitisation on the importance of wearing life jackets while on boats for the past three years.

Adeboye said the campaign has recorded positive results, with a decline in boat accidents in recent times.

According to NAN, part of the activities included the inauguration of an emergency response team for rescue purposes, tasked with responding promptly to any emergency or accident on the waterways.