The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajia Maryam Inna Ciroma, has said that the proposed Safety Code on the waterways will be fully enforced to safeguard the lives of Nigerians.

Speaking at the flag off of a safety campaign on waterways in Nupeko and Malale in Niger State, Ciroma said that the agency has observed that Nigerians living in riverine areas do not like wearing life jacket.

Ciroma said that the campaign is meant to sensitize Nigerians in the coastal areas on the need to observe safety measures that will preserve their lives in the event of any accident on the waters.

She also observed that the two recent boat mishaps in Nupeko and Malale could have been avoided if safety measures were observed.

She explained that when the accidents occurred, the authority moved in quickly to cushion the effect by donating relief materials like life jackets to the people.

Explaining further, the NIWA boss said that it is not enough to donate life jackets, adding that the need to teach and tell them how and why they should use life jackets cannot be overemphasised.

She said, “We realised that it is not enough to just donate these life jackets. We have to  explain to the boats owners and operators how to make use of these jackets effectively, so as to help save lives incase of future accidents that may occur.

“We are visiting these two communities not only to enlighten them on all the necessary guidelines but to also make additional life jackets available for the use of these communities.”

“We hope that at the end of our visit, the Communities would have been able to embrace all the necessary safety guidelines on our waterways”.

Ciroma also disclosed that the campaign will be taken to all geo-political zones across the country, especially in the riverine areas.