The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has formed a special committee to review the operations of commercial boat operators in coastal and inland waterways to address the issue of frequent boat accidents across the country.
During a meeting today in Abuja with the heads of agencies under the ministry, Oyetola emphasised that the issue has become urgent, necessitating the formulation of solutions to minimise these incidents.
The committee is tasked with evaluating current practices and proposing recommendations and actionable plans to mitigate this problem.
The committee will be chaired by the managing director of the National Inland Waterways (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji. Other members include:
1. Mr. D. Mobereola – DG, NIMASA (Member)
2. Prof. S. Abiodun – ED, NIOMR (Member)
3. Dr. A.M. Sule – ED, NIFFR (Member)
4. Dr. B.D. Olaosebikan – P, FCFFT (Member)
5. Prof. B. Fakinlede – TA, HM, FMMBE (Member)
6. Mr. A. Offie – DD, IWW (Secretary)
The terms of reference guiding the committee include, but are not limited to:
a. Reviewing existing commercial boat transportation operations and assessing:
i. Boat accidents and their contributing factors;
ii. Compliance with current safety and security measures in boat operations; and
iii. Compliance of existing boat specifications with accepted standards.
b. Developing a comprehensive plan to address the findings from the assessment and ensure safe commercial boat operation in coastal and inland waterways.
c. Establishing standard design specifications for basic categories of commercial boats operating in coastal and inland waterways.
d. Considering any other relevant measures or issues that may be necessary for ensuring safe and viable commercial boat operations in our coastal and inland waterway transport system, aimed at reducing the frequency of boat accidents.
The committee has 21 days to complete its assignment and submit a comprehensive report to the ministry.
