By Seun Ibiyemi
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has pledged to deepen its collaboration with the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) as part of efforts to improve safety and reduce boat accidents across the country’s inland waterways.
The Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Malam Umar Yusuf Girei, gave the assurance on Tuesday while receiving the Director-General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Sabundu Badeh Jnr, during a courtesy visit to the authority’s headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Girei said the renewed partnership would focus on enhanced collaboration, information sharing and joint operations aimed at addressing the persistent challenge of boat mishaps on Nigeria’s waterways.
According to him, stronger cooperation among relevant stakeholders remains critical to ensuring safer navigation and safeguarding lives and property.
“NIWA is dedicated to strengthening partnerships with sister agencies to improve safety standards and enforce regulations for safer water transportation in Nigeria,” he said.
The NIWA boss further assured the NSIB delegation of the authority’s readiness to provide the necessary information, technical expertise and operational support required to facilitate timely investigations into marine accidents.
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He noted that such collaboration would also help in developing preventive measures to minimise future incidents on the nation’s inland waterways.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jnr, said the visit was aimed at consolidating the existing relationship between both agencies and exploring additional areas of cooperation.
According to Badeh, the proposed partnership would cover accident investigation, data sharing and the strengthening of safety standards within the maritime transport sector.
The collaboration comes amid renewed calls for stricter safety measures following recurring boat accidents in several parts of the country, with stakeholders emphasising the need for improved regulation, enforcement and public awareness.
