The Managing Director of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa, has called for a law to make life jackets compulsory for boat users in the country.
Yelwa made this appeal on Wednesday in Ilorin in response to the tragic boat mishap that occurred on Monday in Patigi, Kwara State. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of the 2023 HYPPADEC-subsidised fertilisers to farmers in Kwara, Yelwa emphasized the urgent need for improved safety measures in Nigeria’s waterways.
During the event, Dr. Mahmud Umar, the Director of Community Services in the agency, represented the HYPPADEC boss. Umar highlighted the significance of life jackets in preventing fatalities during such accidents. He stated, “The fatality recorded in the unfortunate boat mishap in Patigi on Monday was due to the failure of the boat passengers to use life jackets.”
Umar further revealed that HYPPADEC had allocated N1.6 billion for the procurement of life jackets for boat passengers in the previous year. He stressed that the loss of lives in the boat mishap could have been significantly reduced if the victims had utilized life jackets. Citing their usefulness, he explained, “A life jacket can keep a victim afloat for at least seven hours, during which help would have arrived from nearby villagers.”
Consequently, Yelwa called upon the relevant authorities to enact legislation that makes the use of life jackets mandatory for boat passengers. Moreover, he also stressed the need to restrict boat operators from navigating the waters at night, which poses an added risk to passengers’ safety.
The issue of safety regulations for boat users has become increasingly important in recent years, as Nigeria witnesses an increasing number of boat accidents and subsequent casualties. It is hoped that Yelwa’s appeal will draw attention to this crucial matter and lead to necessary reforms that will safeguard the lives of boat passengers and prevent future tragedies.
