The Niger State Government said boat mishap has claimed 182 lives between 2022 and 2024.
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago disclosed this during the observance of World Maritime Day in Minna, where 33 fiberglass boats were distributed by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC).
Represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, the Governor said the fatalities included 95 lives lost in 2022, 68 in 2023, and 19 in 2024 and attributed the frequent boat mishaps to factors such as tree logs, overloading, and night travel.
The Governor emphasized the urgent need for strict enforcement of water transport regulations to safeguard lives and property.
Earlier, Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, noted that fiberglass boats are safer than their wooden counterparts, and stressed the commission’s efforts to mitigate these incidents, including the distribution of life jackets.
Yelwa said the boats were allocated to various states based on their water bodies: “Kaduna and Gombe will each receive one boat, Nasarawa and Taraba two each, Benue three, Kwara and Kogi four each, Kebbi six, and Niger State will receive eight boats”.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Niger State Boat Operators, Alhaji Attahiru Isah called for the establishment of rescue marshals to ensure quick responses to accidents.
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