MINISTER OF MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY, URGES BOAT OPERATORS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AS WELL AS TRANSPORT UNIONS TO ADOPT THE “NO LIFE JACKETS, NO ENTRY”, INTO ANY BOAT
30-05-25
By Sadiq Aminu The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola has urged Boat Operators, Community Leaders as well as Transport Unions to adopt the “No life jackets, No entry”, into any boat, stressing the fact that life jackets are shields and not inconvenience as he also tasked all Stakeholders on water transportation to make safety, a shared responsibility.
The Minister stated this while embarking on a nationwide campaign for “Safety on Nigerian Waterways”, as part of the ongoing Sensitisation tour of riverine communities for distributions of thousands of life jackets in Lagos.
Represented at the event by a Director in the Ministry, Mrs Mercy Ilori, the Minister disclosed that the campaign had already been carried out in Niger, Bayelsa, Anambra and Akwa Ibom States with the target to reach twelve states within the shortest possible time.
Highlighting the importance of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Chief Oyetola listed three core pillars of the campaign to include Water Transportation Regulations 2023, the Ongoing public Sensitisation on Safety as well as the Provision of life saving Equipment, including life jackets for commuters on waters.
He however commended Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu for his positive efforts to transform water transportation in Lagos State while also praising the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, for its effective regulatory oversight and public awareness drives on safety on waterways.
More than three thousand life jackets were distributed to Boats Operators and other Users of the waterways in Lagos, thus underscoring the Ministry’s unwaivering commitment to “Safety – First” culture particularly in riverine communities where water transport is a daily mode of movement by the people.
In his response, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi described the campaign as a timely intervention and about building a Safety culture.