By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
In a renewed call for improved safety and regulatory compliance on Nigeria’s inland waterways, authorities have confirmed that at least nine people lost their lives in three separate boat mishaps within the last year in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Vice Chairman of the Boat Owners and Freshwater Users Association in the state, Dahiru Ango, made the disclosure during a sensitisation campaign on the use of life jackets and safety protocols for boat operators and passengers. The event was organized by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) at the Zumba market waterfront, a key transit hub linking several communities in Niger and Kaduna states.
“In the past year, we lost three passenger boats to mishaps. Two people died in one incident, four in another, and three in the third—all in Shiroro LGA. The sad part is that none of the boats was recovered after they sank,” Ango said.
Highlighting the security threats compounding the region’s transportation challenges, the Chairman of the Shiroro branch of the association, Aliyu Isah Yerima, said that bandit attacks have further endangered movement of people and goods, especially farm produce, between communities in Niger and neighbouring Kaduna State.
“Earlier this year, a boat operator was attacked by bandits while traveling from a Kaduna community to Zumba market. He was badly injured for refusing to cooperate with them. The market shut down for two weeks in protest until our intervention,” Yerima recounted.
He commended NIWA for the timely donation of life jackets and sensitisation efforts, noting that it would go a long way in safeguarding rural communities who rely on water transport as their primary means of mobility and trade.
NIWA’s Area Manager for Niger and Kwara states, Mr. Akapo Adeboye, said the campaign is part of a national response to the predicted rise in water levels due to heavy rainfall.
“We are intensifying awareness and enforcement because boats attacked by bandits often result in higher casualties, especially when passengers are not wearing life jackets,” he said.
According to Adeboye, water transport mishaps in the state have declined significantly due to NIWA’s sustained sensitisation and collaboration with security agencies including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), marine police, and NIWA’s own waterways marshals.
“This year, only one incident has been recorded in the Gbajibo axis, a sharp drop from previous years. We’ve already distributed 3,700 life jackets in Niger State under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and more are on the way,” he added.
As part of its safety measures, NIWA also inaugurated a team of waterways marshals at the Zumba water front, charged with enforcing compliance to water transport safety regulations, particularly the mandatory use of life jackets.
The developments underscore the federal government’s ongoing efforts to make Nigeria’s inland waterways safer, while addressing the intersecting challenges of insecurity and climate-related risks in rural riverine communities.