NEMA, stakeholders meet to address rising boat mishaps in Niger state
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Minna Operations Office has engaged stakeholders to discuss measures to curb incessant boat mishaps in Niger state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in Minna on Tuesday that the meeting held at the Niger state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), aimed to share expertise, experience and valuable insights on boat mishap prevention and response strategies.
Mr Hussaini Isah, Head NEMA Minna Operations Office, emphasised the significance of effective preparadness, enforcement and response strategies in mitigating the impact of boat mishap on lives, Livehood, communities and infrastructure.
“Boat mishap and other hydrological hazards have psed a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic, social and environmental well-being,” he said.
He explained that the meeting aimed to foster collaboration and develop ways to reduce the risks and impacts associated with boat mishaps in Niger state.
Isah streed that relevant agencies must tackle key area, including causes of boat accidents, enhance search and rescue operations, ongoing sensitisation, enforcement of use of life jackets.
Other areas he said was shared responsibility, joint life jacket distribution and state and local government support for community leaders to find a lasting solution to frequent boat mishaps on waterways.
Isah commended participants, speakers and partners for their contributions, highlighting their expertise and commitment to disaster risk reduction a d community resilience.
“Let us work together to build a more resilient Nigeria, where communities are better informed, better prepared and better equipped to withstand and recover from any form of emergency or boat mishap incident,” he said.
The Area Manager, National Inland Water Ways Authority in charge of Niger and Kwara states, Mr Akapo Adeboye, disclosed that the authority through the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economic has donated about Three Thousand,Five Hundred life jackets to Riverine communities in the state,but regretting that the jackets have not been utilize by the boat operators leading to the frequent boat mishap and killing of many innocent life’s in recent times.
Akapo stressed that after sharing the life jackets to the people,they took it and sale, saying that NIWA would stop distributing life jackets to the people.
“The impact of life jackets at the water ways are not been felt, but,this time around,we are going to involved our river marshalls, emergency response team from NIWA and supporting team from all the relevant agencies within the state to ensure that henceforth, life jackets must be used on water front,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director General of Niger state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), explained that under water trees storm has been identified as major challenges on the water ways.
Baba-Arah, represented by the Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, NSEMA, Alhaji Salihu Garba, appealed to the partners who had resources to take advantage of dry season to assist and caught down the under water tree storm in order to safe life’s of people in the riverine communities.
The stakeholders at the engagement meeting includes, NEMA, NSEMA, NIWA, HYPPADEC, Niger state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Transportation, NSCDC, V.I.O, FRSC, NOA, as well as Sarkin Ruwa and Sarkin Gwata among others.
