The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Thursday said it has deployed 76 Waterways Mashals and 72 men of the Nigerian Navy to patrol the Lagos Inland Waterways and enforce the newly launched Waterways Transportation Code.
Speaking during the official flag-off of the Waterways Transportation Code in Lagos, the Lagos Area Manager, Engineer Sarat Braimah explained that the Waterways Transportation Code sensitization exercise will cover seven jetties on Thursday.
According to the NIWA Lagos Area Manager, “The Waterways Transportation Code has been launched officially in our head office in Lokoja, but today’s exercise is to sensitise the boat captains about the new law.
“We want to sensitize both the boat Captains and passengers that there is already a new law that has been gazetted. So anybody who contravenes this law will face the full wrath of the law.
“We all know that we are in the Ember months, and we don’t want any casualty on our waterways. That’s why we are going out today to sensitise boat operators and passengers about the Waterways Transportation Code. We need to inform them that there will be a penalty for anybody who contravenes the law on Lagos waterways.
“The law is clear on incidences that are inevitable or unavoidable and is also clear on incidences that can be avoided.
“The Waterways Transportation Code is a documentation of all the issues that hamper safety on Inland waterways. Issues like overloading, not wearing of Life Jackets and others which we have been talking about for years, have now been gazetted under the Waterways Transportation Code and there are penalties for them.”
On enforcement of the Waterways Transportation Code, Engineer Sarat Braimah revealed that 76 Waterways Mashals and 72 Nigerian Navy personnel have been deployed to ensure compliance.
“We have deployed 76 Waterways Mashals to all the jetties across Lagos waterways.
“The 76 Waterways Mashals have been posted to all the jetties in Lagos. They are to monitor compliance with the Waterways Transportation Code.
“We are also partnering with the Nigerian Navy. They have given us 72 of their officers to work with us in order to ensure compliance with this Waterways Transportation Code.
“Men of the Nigerian Police Force in the NIWA Command have also been attached to this Waterways Mashals to ensure nobody compromises standards.
“The Waterways Marshals in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Poloce Force will be having training twice a week,” the Lagos Area Manager stated.
Recall that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola had earlier commissioned the Waterways Transportation Code in Lokoja during a landmark commissioning of projects executed by the Bola Oyebamiji led NIWA management in June 2024.
