Nigerian Government forms special committee for preventing maritime accidents

The Nigerian Government has established a special committee with the aim of preventing boat accidents in Nigerian waters.

The establishment of the committee sought to address the numerous challenges that prevent local authorities in Nigeria from ensuring the safety of those who travel via the country's waterways.

Fatal maritime accidents in Nigeria, particularly in the country's more remote communities, have been attributed to regulatory lapses. Mishaps that resulted in death in these areas in recent years have been caused by factors such as overloading, lack of vessel maintenance, and failure to clear waterways of obstructions.

Worldwide passenger vessel incident statistics gathered in 2024 show that Nigeria had the second highest number of fatalities (423) from incidents involving passenger vessels, coming only behind the Democratic Republic of the Congo (950 known fatalities in 2024).

The special committee consists of stakeholders including representatives of the various state governments, maritime safety experts, members of the academe, and boat operators' groups. Bola Oyebamiji, Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, will serve as committee chair.

One of the first activities to be undertaken by the new committee will be to thoroughly review commercial boat operations with the aim of identifying the root causes of accidents, particularly those that resulted in fatalities. The members will then discuss possible solutions that can be implemented over the long term to improve safety.