Ministry, NSIB Seek Stronger Collaboration On Waterways Safety

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy (FMMBE) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have commenced discussions on strengthening inter-agency collaboration to improve safety across Nigeria’s waterways.

Permanent secretary of the ministry, Mrs Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja when she received a delegation from the NSIB, led by its director-general, Capt. Alex Badeh Jnr., on a courtesy visit.

Mahmood said the engagement was important in clarifying the mandates of institutions operating within the marine and blue economy sector and ensuring better coordination in the area of waterways safety.

She said the ministry was undertaking a holistic review of the marine and blue economy ecosystem to ensure that relevant institutions were appropriately positioned to discharge their responsibilities and work towards common national objectives.

According to her, clearly defined roles, guided by legal and statutory frameworks, are particularly important in areas involving maritime safety, accident investigation, regulation and enforcement.

“A coordinated approach, rather than overlapping responsibilities, would support more effective implementation of government policies and programmes to improve safety across Nigeria’s waterways,” she said.

The permanent secretary assured the NSIB of the ministry’s willingness to continue engaging the Bureau and other relevant agencies, stressing that effective inter-agency cooperation was necessary to strengthen the country’s waterways safety framework.

Earlier, the NSIB director-general called for the integration of independent marine casualty investigations into ongoing national maritime policy reforms.

Badeh said such integration would help prevent situations where agencies operate at cross purposes and contribute to reducing avoidable deaths on Nigeria’s inland waterways.

He noted that Nigeria has about 10,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways spanning 28 states, making effective coordination among institutions responsible for their management and safety essential.

The NSIB chief clarified that agencies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority have responsibilities covering areas including licensing, inspection and operations, while the NSIB is mandated to conduct independent, no-blame safety investigations.

He explained that the Bureau’s role is to determine the circumstances and causes of accidents and issue safety recommendations, rather than apportioning blame.

Badeh also raised concerns over delays in reporting marine casualties, saying investigators sometimes arrive at accident scenes after critical physical evidence has been tampered with, looted or lost to weather conditions and water currents.

To address the challenge, he proposed the establishment of a formal casualty notification protocol involving the Ministry, NSIB and relevant operating agencies.

Under the proposed arrangement, marine accidents would be reported to the appropriate authorities within one hour of occurrence, allowing investigators to respond promptly and preserve vital evidence.

Badeh said improved coordination and timely investigation of marine casualties would strengthen Nigeria’s safety standards and contribute to its standing as a responsible flag, port and inland waterways state.

He also linked the proposed collaboration to Nigeria’s participation in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), saying stronger safety systems would support the country’s current Category C seat and its future aspiration for a Category B seat.