In order to curb the recurrence of boat accidents on the Lagos waterways, the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN) has held a capacity building programme for 147 boat and ferry operators on safer inland waterways transportation.
The training which was held in Apapa, Lagos, had resource persons from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Lagos Fire Service Department, Yamaha among others.
The training focused on relevant operational issues such as boat handling and maintenance, boarding and disembarking procedures, lifejacket handling, donning and maintenance.
Others were preventive maintenance for outboard engines, firefighting and prevention as well as CPR and first aid.
At the evente, NIWA head of marine, Lagos Area, Engr. Elsie Egwuatu, commended WABOTAN tfor aking the initiative of equipping boat operators every year, adding that the association had keyed into the vision of NIWA in ensuring safe navigable waterways.
“I want to commend WABOTAN for this laudable initiative they have always engaged in by ensuring that they train their members regarding safety navigation on the waterways, because education is key for any captain in carrying out their duties effectively on the waterways. The objective of WABOTAN is commensurate with that of NIWA.
“There is a slogan I always like to reiterate, and that is ‘if you don’t train them, don’t blame them. In the waterways transportation, after God, the next is the boat captain, this is because if there are eventualities, the passengers’ lives are entrusted to the boat captain. So, the captain knowing how to carry out his duties is very key in keeping the waterways safe.
“As an authority, we are willing to keep partnering with WABOTAN because their aims and objectives are always hammering on ensuring that our waterways are safe and accidents are reduced to the barest minimum. I want to commend the management of the association for updating its members on what is expected if them” she said
