The Federal Government is set to phase out wooden canoes with the deployment of fibre-reinforced plastic boats and water ambulances to address the incessant accidents on Nigeria’s waterways.
Consequently, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola will, tomorrow, commission the waterways transport projects of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The initiative is to improve safety on the nation’s waterways, providing more durable vessels and emergency response capabilities to address accidents and other incidents in Nigeria’s waters.
Spokesman to the minister, Ismail Omipidan, who disclosed this yesterday, said the deployments are pilot schemes and part of deliberate efforts to phase out wooden canoes to improve safety on the nation’s waterways.
Speaking on the proposed visit, Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, said the water ambulances are for prompt search and rescue operations and would be deployed to Lagos, Niger and Port Harcourt, where the waters are heavy.
He explained that the waterways transport projects are in response to the minister’s charge to the agency to find a lasting solution to the frequent accidents on the nation’s waterways.
The NIWA boss confirmed that the agency had put measures in place to address the situation, including ensuring that the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulation (2023) for safety regulations on the inland waterways was gazetted.
According to him, the process to have the code gazetted has been on for so many years, however, the agency concluded the process within six months. He said the code, which would be launched by the minister, would guide the operations of boat operators, regulate the conduct of passengers and provide a framework for potential investors in water transportation.
