Nigeria's National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has enacted an immediate ban on loading passengers from unauthorized points and operations by unlicensed boats, aiming to reduce the rising toll of accidents on the country's inland waterways.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, NIWA Managing Director Bola Oyebamiji outlined the new safety directives. "NIWA has placed an immediate ban on loading activities from all unauthorised loading points across the country. No commercial passenger boat shall be allowed to load from any point other than those recognised and registered by NIWA," he stated.

Oyebamiji further mandated that all commercial operators must enforce lifejacket use at all times and ensure boats display proper identification, including boat name letters and load lines. He also ordered the removal of all unlicensed boats and watercraft from the waterways, banning unlicensed drivers and operators from any activity. The measures follow a series of fatal incidents in recent months.

In April, a boat carrying traders capsized on the Niger River near Sokun Village in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State due to a sudden storm, resulting in multiple casualties. Another accident struck in July on the Shiroro River near Zumba market in Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, where a passenger boat overloaded with rice, livestock, and about 40 people collided with a submerged log. Rescue efforts recovered 15 bodies, with three individuals still missing; 26 passengers survived, many credited to wearing lifejackets.

In mid-August, two separate tragedies unfolded in Sokoto State, including a heavily loaded boat ferrying women, children, and motorcycles to Goronyo market that capsized, claiming several lives.

The most recent incident occurred in early September on the Malale River in the Kainji Reservoir near Gausawa, Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, where a wooden boat transporting mourners to a condolence visit overturned, confirming at least 27 deaths.

NIWA's actions target these recurring hazards, emphasizing compliance to safeguard lives on Nigeria's vital inland transport routes.