One Year of Oyebamiji’s Remarkable Feats, as NIWA Identifies Causes of Boat Mishaps on Nigeria’s Waterways … Commits to Implement Water Transport Codes
Mr Bola Oyebamiji, FCIB, MD/CEO, NIWA
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), an Inland Waterways Department of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has undoubtedly kept the flag of achievement flying in the last one year with vigorous push to attain global operational standards.
With the emergence of the present Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, FCIB, the present helmsman in charge of its affairs who was appointed last year October, 2023 as the 8th Managing Director to oversee activities of the agency, NIWA, have continued to be in the news for several reasons, but not undermining the positive efforts being undertaken by the Oyebamiji led management to reposition the authority to greater attainment and efficiency.
Recently, the NIWA boss, Bola Oyebamiji, FCIB who led top echelon of the agency in an interactive session with the media at Sheraton Hotels in Lagos on Friday October 25, 2024, itemized some of the achievements under his watch in the last one year in office, and as well unfolded the authority’s impending radical approach to ameliorate the worrisome incessant cases of boat mishaps in the nation’s waterways transportation.
Oyebamiji during his inaugural meeting with his management team
According to Oyebamiji while highlighting NIWA’s achievements in the reviewed period, said that within one year, NIWA, through the supervisory effort of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr Gboyega Oyetola, CON, now has a new Water Transportation Code, 2023, and within the same period, the agency have deployed several operational assets including 15 boats of varying capacities and uses to promote efficiency and service delivery.
Still on the agency feats, the NIWA helmsman said the agency under his watch have as well provided greater incentives to workers through the official commissioning of several capital projects to promote a better working environment and have as well continued to treat the welfare of workers as a priority always.
Piqued by the incessant cases of boat mishaps, Oyebamiji who was apparently saddened by the avoidable boat mishap that happened in Gbajigbo in Niger State and Imore in Lagos State respectively where innocent lives were lost due to human error, lamented the rise in non-compliance levels of operators with safety rules.
Oyebamiji, addressing the media in Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja recently
While he outlined a comprehensive short-, medium- and long-term measures to halt accidents on the nation’s waterways corridor, Oyebamiji said the deployment of the recent gazette Water Transportation Code shall be the starting point of his led agency’s radical reforms on the waterways.
Meanwhile, confronting headlong the twin issues of safety and insecurity on the inland waterways that have always put the agency on a bad light, and apparently overshadowed every gain recorded by NIWA whenever it happens, Oyebamiji said the agency have reconsidered its safety campaign approach to be more focused on the grassroots using community resources, noting that within one year, NIWA has carried out more grassroots safety campaign than at any other time within the same period.
Similarly, he said they have deployed water marshals across different loading and offloading points in the country. To this, he elated NIWA helmsman pointed with interest that within three months of its launch, they have increased the number of water marshals from 80 to 350 personnel, while he noted that the deployed officers were recently directed to commence 24-hour surveillance within selected locations to arrest the ugly incident of night travel and overloading.
According to him, strict compliance with the water transportation code shall be enforced and offenders will be brought to book in the face of the law.
He also revealed the massive robust sensitization grassroots programmes undertaking by the agency which he said involved the traditional rulers and State Commissioners of transportation, and that they are veritable means to disseminate safety campaigns to the locals.
Oyebamiji while noting the need to increase the level of awareness and campaign within the sector, also called for media partnership as the agency rout through the process of media campaigns.
He as well recalled the recent vigorous meeting the agency had in Abuja with critical Stakeholders to evaluate the current challenges on inland waterways transportation and find possible solutions. He pointed that the meeting which had in attendance the Honourable Commissioners of Transportation from more than 24 states, among other groups, highlighted several important measures that must be taken to arrest the twin issues of safety and insecurity on the inland waterways.
“We urge you, as opinion shapers, to partner with NIWA, in its mission to promote safer waterways through media advocacy.
“This is important to us because, of all the causes of accidents on our waterways, human error takes the lead. A further evaluation reveals that poor attitude and blatant disregard for safety protocol account for the greatest cause of boat mishaps.
“We therefore call on you to join us in educating our people on the need to be safety conscious always”, the NIWA boss stated.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was established vide act of the National Assembly, CAP 47, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004 (Decree No. 13 of 1997), with the primary responsibility to improve and develop Nigeria’s inland waterways for navigation; Provide regulation for inland water navigation; provide an alternative mode of transportation for the evacuation of economic goods and persons: and execute the objectives of the national transport policy as they concern inland waterway
With 13 departments and 24 Area offices, the agency’s Mission included to provide regulatory, economical and operational leadership in the Nation’s Inland Waterways system and develop infrastructural facilities for an efficient intermodal transportation system in line with global best practices that is safe, seamless and affordable.
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