The Federal Government has distributed 1,000 life-saving jackets to tourist boat operators and water transporters in Ogun State, as part of efforts to boost safety across Nigeria’s waterways.
The distribution, carried out through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, is part of a nationwide initiative to provide 42,000 jackets, with 3,500 earmarked for Ogun State alone.
Speaking during the exercise in Abeokuta, the Area Manager of the Nigerian Inland Water Authority (NIWA), Engineer Ipinmoroti Adeleye, said the intervention is targeted at curbing fatalities and improving safety consciousness among waterway users.
He charged the beneficiaries, operating under the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), to ensure strict compliance with safety rules by mandating passengers and operators alike to wear the jackets.
“There is a regulation that has been gazetted, the Inland Waterways Transportation Code of 2023, and enforcement is already out. As you are receiving these jackets, NIWA, the Marine Police, Navy and Civil Defence will begin monitoring to ensure compliance,” Adeleye stated.
