The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), has called for stronger waterway safety measures to prevent boat mishaps and protect lives in hydroelectric dam-affected communities.
The Head of Press and Public Affairs, Nura Tanko Wakili made the call in his birthday tribute dedicated to victims of boat accidents across Nigeria, urging government agencies, boat operators, passengers and community leaders to strengthen safety practices and prevent avoidable deaths.
He identified overloading, failure to wear life jackets, poorly maintained boats and submerged tree trunks as major risks confronting water users.
He urged boat operators to maintain their vessels, observe weather conditions and comply with safety regulations, while passengers should insist on properly fitted life jackets before boarding.
“Safety must become a culture rather than a response to tragedy,” he said, stressing that life jackets save lives only when available, serviceable and worn.
Wakili acknowledged N-HYPPADEC’s interventions to improve navigation and protect riverine communities, including the distribution of more than 40,000 life jackets and the provision of fibreglass boats for water transportation.
He said the Commission had also cleared obstructive tree logs and other hazards along more than 300 kilometres of waterways, from the Dole-Kaina area near the Nigeria-Niger-Benin border in Kebbi State towards Gbajibo in Kwara State.
The clearance exercise, particularly around the Kainji and Shiroro lake systems, involved the National Inland Waterways Authority and other stakeholders, including boat owners and operators.
However, Wakili said the interventions required sustained public education, proper equipment maintenance, effective enforcement and stronger emergency preparedness to achieve lasting results.
He recalled the fatal boat mishaps in Warra, Kebbi State, and Shiroro, Niger State, in 2021, shortly after he became spokesperson for the then HYPPADEC.
He said the tragedies reinforced his conviction that every preventable death should strengthen collective efforts to protect human life.
Wakili expressed sympathy with bereaved families, noting that boat mishaps destroy lives, deprive children of parental care and leave entire communities in grief.
He dedicated his birthday to the memory of victims of boat accidents in hydroelectric dam-affected communities and pledged to continue supporting efforts to improve waterway safety.
He also acknowledged the leadership and mentorship of N-HYPPADEC’s pioneer Managing Director, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, and thanked his colleagues, family, friends and well-wishers for their prayers and goodwill messages.
