The trend in boat accidents in Nigeria has become prevalent. Gridlocks have made many to seek an alternative in water transportation. But the needless accidents arising from water transportation have become a worry to stakeholders
Between July 2021 and July 2022, over 10 boat accidents claimed lives and property. The most recent boat accident occurred on July 9, 2022, in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The accident happened two days after two female passengers died when a 20-seater boat, which departed the Ipakodo ferry terminal in the Ikorodu area of the state, capsized.
Boat accidents are not peculiar to Lagos as accidents were recorded in other states in the country. One of such was in Sokoto State which claimed 28 lives. Others happened in Bayelsa, Niger, Kano, Kebbi, and Rivers. Also, in 2020, about 350 lives were lost to boat accidents in the country.
Data from the Nigeria Watch showed that 1607 lives were lost in 180 boat accidents between June 2006 and May 2015.
The National Inland Waterways Authority, body in charge of waterways transport, noted that its major business activities were to improve and develop inland waterways for navigation and provide an alternative mode of transportation for evacuation of economic goods and persons, among others.
NIWA added that Nigeria has inland navigable waterways of about 3,000km and an extensive coastline of about 852km with great potential for the movement of goods from the coast to the hinterland through water transportation.