Every journey on Nigeria’s rivers once carried a shadow of danger.
Now, that shadow is lifting.
In 2025, the National Inland Waterways Authority has slashed waterway fatalities by 72%, turning rivers that once claimed hundreds of lives into safer routes for families, traders, and travellers alike.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has actively reduced fatalities by 72%, marking the sharpest improvement in decades.
Strong Leadership In Action
Under the leadership of Managing Director and CEO Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, NIWA enforced the Water Transportation Code with determination, transforming safety on rivers and lakes across the country.
Annual deaths from boat accidents, which averaged 330 in 2021 and 2022, fell to 231 in 2024 and further dropped to just 92 between January and August 2025 — a 60% reduction that experts celebrate as unprecedented.
Ongoing Challenges
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This progress stems from the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations 2023, which Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola unveiled in April last year.
NIWA implemented the regulations fully, combining stricter rules with enhanced oversight to protect countless Nigerians on the waterways.
Nevertheless, stakeholders argue that the work continues.
They urge NIWA to expand nationwide life-jacket distribution, recruit additional water marshals, and replace old wooden canoes with modern, safer vessels.
Each action could save more lives and further reduce accidents.
In a country where rivers serve as both lifelines and hazards, NIWA’s proactive leadership, rigorous regulation, and vigilant enforcement demonstrate that authorities can turn once-dangerous waterways into safe corridors for travel.
