Transportation commissioners in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Nigeria Transportation Commissioners’ Forum, on Wednesday decried the neglect of inland waterways across the country, calling on all relevant stakeholders to accord due commitment to the sector, similar to that of the railway, aviation, and road transportation.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the one-day consultative forum on safety and security on the inland waterways, organised by the Kwara State Ministry of Works and Transport and the Nigeria Transportation Commissioners’ Forum in Ilorin, the chairman of the forum, Engineer Gbenga Dairo, called on the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to be more proactive in its responsibilities.
“The fact is that inland waterways transportation is a neglected area in our country, and we have to first accept this fact. There has been a lot of concentration on the railway, aviation, and road transportation sectors in the country. It’s now time for the same level of concentration and commitment to be placed on water transportation. It’s our hope that NIWA, especially, will be alive to its responsibilities. Those of us in the states are willing to work with them and other stakeholders to ensure that the waterways are safe for transportation,” he said.
Engineer Dairo, who is also the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, emphasised the need to empower local government authorities to regulate and monitor activities on the nation’s waterways across local government areas.
“The local governments are important tiers of government, and recent changes in legislation are empowering them to deliver government and public services to the residents in their locality and jurisdiction, including transportation. I believe local government leaders should take an active role in providing safe public transportation for their residents.
“Most of the waterways are situated in local riverine communities, and local governments are the closest to the people. If empowered, they’ll be able to monitor and regulate activities because, beyond transportation, there’s a need for security in local communities as farmers move their goods to their various destinations using waterways,” he said.
“Though there is hope, the truth is that there is a lot to be done to make our water transportation system safer,” he added.
On the forum, themed “Prevalent Safety, Security Hazards, and Practices in Inland Waterways: Passenger Transport Safety,” Dairo said that the expected outcome of the meeting would be a determination to assemble a team of people from the federal authorities, including NIWA, and state governments to work together toward establishing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and protocols that will guide and govern the way stakeholders relate to one another in the interest of water transportation users across the country.
“We need regulation in all aspects of our water transportation. Operators, by their nature, are profit-orientated and can compromise safety. But just as we have checks and regulations in our airports, parks, and train stations, somebody should be there in the river when the boats are being loaded.”
Also speaking, the NIWA boss, who was represented by Olawale Tijani, Acting GM (Special Duties), and Mohammed Dangana, said that the promise to build a jetty at Patigi, Kwara State, following the recent boat mishaps that claimed about 107 lives last year, has not been abandoned.
“I was actually part of that delegation that came to Kwara State with the MD on this. A jetty is a technical infrastructure and not something you have on the shelf. We need to undergo technical studies of that area, and the management has commissioned a team for that. Furthermore, such issues are based on budgetary provisions, which have already been taken into consideration,” he said.
In his address, delivered by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Shaba Jubril, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State said that to curb the rising incidents of boat mishaps with massive loss of lives and properties, there should be reforms that include targeted investment, infrastructure upgrades, and improved regulation of water travel across the country.
The governor said that the NIWA should take the lead in that regard, adding that the authority should be supported by every stakeholder, including private sector players.
“The theme of this forum, ‘Prevalent Safety, Security Hazards, and Practices in Inland Waterways: Passenger Transport Safety,’ reflects our commitment to addressing the challenges and risks associated with inland water transportation, especially with the recent boat mishaps being experienced in our waterways.”
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