FG to investigate causes of rising cases of Lagos water accidents – Amaechi***

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, has highlighted that the most effective solution to incessant accidents on the nation’s waters is stronger inter-agency collaboration.

He made the remark, grieving on the growing loss of lives through sometimes, avoidable accidents in the Nigerian inland waterways, which had also resulted in a serious loss of property.

Jamoh made his observation, just as the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi vows to scrutinise and unravel the basis for soaring accidents in the waterways.

Jamoh made the assertion at an awareness forum in Lagos organised by the NIMASA in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

The NIMASA Director-General, who was represented by the Head of Marine Accident Investigation Unit, Capt. Abayomi Coker stated that the Agency was committed to the search for a lasting solution to the loss of lives and property in the country’s maritime domain.​

“NIMASA established the Marine Accident investigation Unit to conduct investigations to establish the circumstances and causes of accidents in the Nigerian maritime domain.

We then identify the inadequacies in the maintenance of the vessel and their equipment, the competence of all shipboard staff and their operational practices and procedures.

We seek measures which can be implemented to avoid reoccurrence of such accidents in future and inter Agency collaboration has been identified to play a major role”. He said

Officials of the MWUN, NIWA, NPA and LASWA joined their colleagues from NIMASA to engage non-convention boat operators on boat maintenance, boarding and disembarking procedures marine accident reporting procedures, firefighting and prevention procedures and protection of the marine environment amongst other issues.

In a related development graduating students from the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Research were drilled on safety measures onboard seagoing vessels by NIMASA.

In his address at the event, NIMASA DG Dr Bashir Jamoh noted that majority of accidents in the maritime sector were caused as a result of human errors and that understanding the basic factors concerning the human element was an essential step toward forestalling or mitigating such accidents.

“As the Maritime Safety Administration for Nigeria and in line with its mandate to ensure the safety of navigation and the protection of the Nigerian marine environment and its resources, NIMASA has continued to initiate and promote safety culture to reduce or possibly prevent accidents in our waterways. You would all agree with me that prevention is better and cheaper than cure”, the DG said.

The DG further stated that the lecture series was initiated for seafarers/cadets in approved maritime institutions, with the objective of educating them on lessons learned from accidents that occurred within the Nigerian maritime domain and accidents that affected vessels of Nigerian interest outside the country.

According to Jamoh, “Various issues caused accidents within our marine environment, and as an Agency, we have taken note and have a history of them.

We are not only being reactive but are poised to continue to take proactive measures in addressing them.

Therefore, it is our intention to build on our efforts to ensure sustainability in this regard because NIMASA believes that this will enhance and promote safety culture in our work environment and guard against re-occurrence”

The International Maritime Organization IMO’s casualty Investigation Code of 2008 which seeks to promote a common approach to safety investigation of marine casualties and incidents has placed an obligation on all member states to carry out an impartial investigation with the sole purpose of learning safety lessons from marine accidents without apportioning blames or liabilities.

In another development, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has against the backdrop of incessant water accidents around Magazine Point, Marina, Lagos, the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has promised an investigation to unravel the cause.

Amaechi gave the pledge at the 2021 Lagos Yacht Club Governor’s Cup after he was intimated of the rising water accidents around the area while honouring his invitation as Governor Emeritus and Minister of Transportation.

Presenting the Cup to the winner of the championship, Amaechi congratulated the Yacht club for their long history in Nigeria and promised to investigate the cause of water accidents around the Bridge close to the Yacht club at Magazine point.

“This place is a part of history that I never knew about, hearing that this place started in 1932. I’ve always passed here, without knowing what danger that construction (the bridge) poses to Nigerians, but being here today, I’ve learned that there have been accidents here and there. I’m not sure it’s from the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

“I’ll have to find out, and I’ve asked the Club to do us a letter so that we can investigate what’s going on there.

“We are not in charge of bridges; we are in charge of water. Our responsibility is to ensure that all those who use water, use them safely.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) argues that this place belongs to them and it truly belongs to them because when it comes to who collects the money for this place, the law says inland waterways.

And this is inland water, this is not the sea,” Amaechi argued further.