Committee tasked with improving commercial vessel safety

Commercial boat operations to be reviewed

NIGERIA: A special committee has been formed to review commercial boat operations in Nigeria’s coastal and inland waters in an effort to address increasing concerns about safety along the country’s coastline and inland waters.

Meeting with the heads of agencies overseen by the Ministry, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, noted the need to address the situation and, according to a press statement, the Committee is expected to provide recommendations to improve the situation.

Chaired by the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, the committee includes representatives from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) and other relevant agencies.

The committee is mandated to review recent boating incidents with the view to assessing their causes as well as to address current boat operations with regard to safety and security. Existing boat specifications will also be addressed in relation to acceptable standards.

Following this review, the Committee will develop a comprehensive plan to address the findings and develop standard specifications for boat design according to designated categories for commercial vessels.

With just three weeks to complete the assignment, the Committee is also tasked to consider all possible measures to promote safe and viable commercial boat operations on coastal and inland waterways.