- Onung advised state governments to work on ensuring the needed infrastructure are in place on the waterways as he commended the Lagos State government for taking the lead.
- He said his recent journey from Lagos to Port Novo, in Benin Republic, was an eye opener to the fact that Lagos state had done a lot on the waterways but more needed to be done.
The Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) is advocating for mandatory life jacket use to minimize casualties from boat accidents nationwide.
A recent boat mishap in Niger State’s Mokwa LGA on October 1 resulted in the loss of 42 lives, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).
On Tuesday, 21 passengers lost their lives in a boat accident at Imore town in Lagos State’s Amuwo-Odofin LGA.
Nkereuwem Onung, FTAN’s national president, expressed concerns about the alarming rate of boat accidents in Lagos and Niger, attributing them to negligence and overloading.
Onung emphasized the importance of adhering to safety guidelines, stating, “FTAN is worried over certain developments in the tourism sector. It is absolutely wrong to go on a boat without life jackets. Safety rules on Nigeria’s waterways should be strictly adhered to.”
He urged proactive measures from the government and boat operators to prevent negligence and ensure economic prosperity through waterway trade, tourism, and transportation.
Onung commended the Lagos government’s progress on waterway infrastructure and the collaborative efforts of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).
Bolaji Mustapha, national president of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), stressed the importance of pre-trip safety briefings, advising boat operators to avoid nighttime trips beyond 6:00 p.m.
Mustapha advocated for educating passengers on emergency procedures, comparing it to airline safety briefings, “Just as we have air hostesses intimate travellers on safety rules before an aircraft takes off, this should be replicated in the case of water transport as well.”