Preventing Boat Disaster On Lagos Waters

By Tayo Ogunbiyi

Transportation is the pivot around which the wheel of every modern economy revolves. The efficiency with which people, goods and services can move from one point to the other largely determines the quality of life of the society. Lagos is the undisputed economic nerve centre of West Africa, with every potential to become the 3rd largest mega city in the world after Shanghai and Mumbai. Lagos population is estimated to consist of over 15 million people and according to the United Nations projections, by 2015 the population will be 20 million, making it the 3rd largest city in the world.

Addressing the transportation and traffic challenges of a complex Mega city like Lagos has been a major priority of the Fashola Administration. Today, many mega cities of the world depend on more than one mode of transportation and Lagos will not be exceptional. Therefore, the need to exploit alternative means of transportation mode cannot be over-emphasized given the complex nature of the sector in the state. One of such other alternatives being exploited by the government with passion is water transportation. To this end, government has already identified seven corridors for development and mass transportation. It is a big relief for commuters that operations have begun on Ikorodu –Marina, Badore –Admiralty- Osborne to Marina and also Ijede to Admiralty. This serves as an alternative means of transportation and has reduced traffic jam associated with major roads in Lagos, especially on those axes.

Today, from one operation route in 2007, Lagos is running water transport on 12 routes (Ikorodu-Marina/CMS; Marina – Mile 2; Ikorodu – Addax/Falomo; Ikorodu-Ebute Ero; Marina-Ijegun Egba-Ebute-Ojo; Mile 2 – Marina/CMS-Mekwen-Falomo; Badore – Ijede; Badore – Five Cowries; Marina – Oworonshonki; Ebute Ojo – Ijegun Egba; Oworonshonki – Five Cowries and Baiyeku – Langbasa) under the supervision of Lagos State Waterways Authority while passenger traffic has grown to over one million passengers per month and it is increasing. This has also created additional new jobs with economic multiplier effects on families and society.

However, recent boat accidents along the Lagos waterways have suddenly brought into the spotlight the question of safety for people who travel on waters.

 Indeed, many have canvassed for the total abolition of water transportation in the state in view of what they consider as the many dangers of travelling on waters. This is, however, taking it too far. It is like cutting one’s face to spite the nose. Without  doubt, there is no mode of transportation that is completely immune from accidents. For instance, available statistics reveal that Nigeria has the second highest rate of road accidents among 193 countries while deaths from road accidents  are the third foremost source of death in the country. With regards to air transportation, since June 4, 1956, when a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) four-engine Canadair C-4 Argonaut airliner crashed into a tree on departure from Kano Airport, killing three of the seven crew members and 29 of the 38 passengers, the nation has witnessed over forty other air crashes, with some of them resulting in monumental losses.

Consequently, rather than casting a dark shadow over the viability of water transportation in the state, stakeholders ought to be more concerned about coming up with ideas that could help consolidate modest gains recorded in the sector. It would be an overstatement to say that integrating inter-modal system of transportation is necessary in a place like Lagos. This explains why the state government has been making efforts to integrate safety culture in the sector. To this end,  the state government in continuation of its quest to encourage inter modal transportation, recently distributed 2000 life jackets to operators in the water transportation sector in Ebute Ojo. The goal is to ensure safety on our water ways by ensuring that passengers who intend to board a canoe, ferry or outboard motorboat do so by putting on a life jacket before boarding. An analysis of accidents on Lagos waters shows that passengers may have survived if  they had put on life vests before venturing to travel on waters.

Similarly, in view of current trend of boat mishaps across the world, government recently organised a safety awareness campaign for passengers and operators. This became necessary because water transportation now accounts for moving between 1.5 to 1.6 million passengers monthly in the state.  When compared to 200,000 passengers that used the mode of transportation some seven years ago, this is, indeed, a great improvement. The beauty of it all is that the state government is not resting on its oars. It is continuously working hard to ensure that the waters become safer for commuters who choose to travel on them. Very soon,  work would be completed on the concessioning of  more ferry terminals in order to increase patronage. The state has completed the dredging of the Ojo waterways down to Lagos Island and has installed lifebuoys and navigational signs for boat operators in the state.

As it has been previously stated, water transport, like other modes of transportation, is certainly not invulnerable, but none provision of life jackets by operators, refusal of  passengers to use life jackets, weather and hazardous waters coupled with reckless operations remain key causes of disaster on Lagos waters. While it is true that stronger government supervision could increase safety on the waters, boat operators and passengers equally need to adhere strictly to safety measures. It is only in doing this that the waters will become safer for all.

•Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit ,Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa-Ikeja.