The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) on Thursday said that it recorded zero boat accident on waterways in the last six months.
The General Manager of LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.
Emmanuel said that the administration of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had set a record in water transportation safety in Lagos State with the achievement.
“According to the official records of the state inland waterways authority, the state has made a lot of progress in safety enforcement.
“The state government, through the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, continues to improve on safety guidelines, regulations and enforcement for the smooth operations of water transportation in the state.
“Asides the continuous routine check-up and regular inspection of ferries plying the waterways, as well as the removal of water hyacinth causing obstruction to smooth navigation, LASWA has also donated thousands of life jackets.
“We donated these to commercial boat operators and pupils in the riverine communities of Lagos to promote the use of life jackets and the safety awareness programme,” Emmanuel said.
He said that the LASWA patrol team comprising Water-Guards and officers of the Counter-Terrorist Unit of the Nigerian Police in collaboration with the Marine Police are always on standby day and night monitoring activities on the waterways.
Emmanuel said that the team was working tirelessly to ensure safety and security of both lives and infrastructure.
“The results of these efforts have resulted into a drastic reduction in Waterways incidences to the extent that no single mishap was recorded on the Lagos waterways in the last six months.
“This is an indication of improvement in water transport safety and a proof of the excellent result of the THEMES agenda of the state government,” the LASWA boss said.
According to him, sustainable investment in inland waterways sector will continue to prevent accident, and thereby increase public confidence in the sector.
“Effective safety measures are like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost,” Emmanuel said.
