The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Niger-Kwara Area Office, on Saturday commenced the enforcement of life jacket use for passengers boarding boats across its waterways.

The area manager, Akapo Adeboye, flagged off the 2025 sensitisation campaign on the safety of lives and property in line with inland waterways regulations in the Gabgibo community.

The campaign was tagged “Safety and Safe Trip—Zero Tolerance to Boat Mishap: No Life Jacket, No Boarding.”

The enforcement, which began at the Gabgibo waterfront in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger, is part of the authority’s efforts to reduce boat accidents and ensure safety on waterways.

“We are shifting from sensitisation to enforcement, and we expect all boat operators and passengers to comply,” he said.

He recalled that NIWA had been carrying out sensitisation on the importance of wearing life jackets while on boats for the past three years.

According to him, the campaign has recorded positive results, with a decline in boat accidents in recent times.

Part of the activities included the inauguration of an emergency response team for rescue purposes, tasked with responding promptly to any emergency or accident on the waterways.

(NAN)