Maritime

Association Blames NIWA For Boat Mishaps In Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

November 21, 2022

The Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters has blamed the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and other regulatory bodies for boat mishaps in the country.
This is in reaction to the incessant boat accidents in the nation’s waterways that have claimed lots of lives.
Specifically, the Association decried the loss of over 212 persons in the nation’s waterways within a space of seven months across the country.
The group said the boat mishaps took place between March to October, 2022 within which over 212 persons lost their lives.
National President, Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters, Tope Fajeninokun, stated this to newsmen in Lagos.
“The expectation which has been our yearning is the training and retraining of boat operators. Some of them are secondary school certificate holders.
“For instance, ask NIMASA, how many driving license they have issued boat drivers this year, you will discover that it is extremely low. What about the logs and wrecks on our waterways?
“We can see glaring improvement as to the removal of the wrecks from the waters, but they are not doing enough.
“When you train boat operators at six months interval, it refreshes their brain,. Monitoring of boat operations and training of drivers should be at the forefront”, Fajemirokun said.
“So far this year, 22 fatal boat accidents have been reported in 13 states”, he said.
The states include Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Jigawa, Katsina and Kebbi.
Others are Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe respectively
He likened the cause of the accidents to non adherence to safety measures,
Fajeninokun noted that the first fatal boat accident in 2022 was recorded in Yauri, Kebbi State in March when four siblings drowned after a boat ferrying them, their father and two other passengers across the river to their farm capsized.
The most recent fatal mishap, he said, occurred in Lagos on Sunday, October 23 when a boat with four persons capsized, and only one of them survived.

By: Chinedu Wosu

Maritime

Customs Kaduna Command Generates ?5b Revenue In Oct

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kaduna Area Command, has achieved a new revenue milestone, generating ?5.16 billion in October 2025

The Area Command said the feat was the highest monthly revenue ever recorded.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Ridwan Yusuf, revealed this in a Statement made available to Journalists

The figure, Yusuf said, represent 96 per cent increase above the monthly target and a 196 per cent target performance.

Yusuf said that the command collected ?39.79 billion between January and October 2025, compared with ?24.06 billion generated during the same period in 2024 reflecting a substantial year,on year growth.

the Area Controller, Comptroller Saad Hassan, attributed the record performance to the dedication and professionalism of officers and stakeholders, in line with the modernisation agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.

He identified improved stakeholders’ engagement, digitalisation of excise operations, and enhanced officers’ motivation as key factors driving the Command’s success.

“The Command’s performance demonstrates the effectiveness of our current operational strategies and our unwavering commitment to national economic stability,” Hassan said.

He assured that the command would continue to sustain the momentum by facilitating legitimate trade and improving revenue collection mechanisms.

The Command also reaffirmed its resolve to uphold professionalism and integrity in line with the service’s overall mission of trade facilitation and economic growth.

By; Chinedu Wosu

Maritime

Shipper’s Council Advocates Sensitization Of Staff On NSITF Scheme

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has called for proper Sensitization of staff on the proposed insurance scheme by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Akutah Pius, made the call while playing host to a courtesy visit by NSITF officials to his office, in Lagos.

Represented by Director of Human Resources Management, Alhaji Mustapha Zubairu, Akutah emphasized the Nigeria Shipper’s Council commitment to prioritizing staff insurance and health, citing existing policies with positive impacts on employees’ lives.

He requested NSITF to strengthen its legal framework to enable the NSC to fully benefit from the scheme.

Earlier, the Team Head, NSITF’ Adegbite Oludotun said that the organization provides compensation for insured government employees in case of injury, disability, or death during active service.

While commending the NSC for registering with the scheme, Oludotun assured adequate compensation for employee claims and safety.

By: Chinedu Wosu

Maritime

Navy Rescues Six Male, Five Female Passengers From Drowning In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

November 10, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Nigerian Navy Service NNS has rescued six male and five female passengers from a sinking speedboat along Bonny waterways in Rivers state

This is contained in a Statement by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, and made available to newsmen, in Abuja.

Adams-Aliu said the rescue operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, along the Bonny River.

According to the statement, the boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt for Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, developed engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Rivers State.

He said the swift response of the Naval patrol team under heavy rainfall prevented a major tragedy as all 11 passengers comprising six males and five females, were safely evacuated and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Jetty for medical checks.

“The rescued victims were later handed over to the Marine Police for onward reunification with their families,”

The Naval spokesman said the Navy, in another Operation last wednesday, intensified crackdown on crude oil theft with the deactivation of multiple illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta.

He said personnel of FOB Escravos dismantled two sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.

“Similarly, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER patrol team uncovered and deactivated another site with cooking ovens, reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil around Bakana and Isaka areas of Rivers.

“Also, personnel of FOB Bonny dismantled a refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area, while NNS DELTA patrol team deactivated another at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta,”

Adams-Aliu said the operations reflect the Navy’s renewed commitment under the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to ensure maritime safety, protect national assets, and promote lawful economic activities.

The statement reaffirmed that the Nigerian Navy would sustain the momentum in its fight against crude oil theft and all forms of illegality within the nation’s maritime domain.

By: Chinedu Wosu