Avoidable frequent boat mishaps in Nigeria

It is sad that Nigeria’s inland waterways have continued to claim lives in preventable boat accidents. The latest tragedy struck on Saturday, January 3, 2026, in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State, where a canoe carrying 52 passengers from Adiyani in Jigawa State capsized in Garbi. It claimed 29 lives, with 8-10 people still missing as search operations continue. Overloading and structural defects were cited as causes.

Just days earlier, on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, a passenger boat from Ilashe Beach House capsized along the Nigerdock axis of the Igbologun Water Channel in Lagos. Six young passengers drowned, while four persons were rescued.

These are not isolated events. Between 2020 and 2021, Lagos recorded at least eight boat mishaps, according to statistics from relevant authorities.

In between 2022 and 2025, major boat accidents also occurred, majorly in Northern rivers and Southern lagoons.

In July 2022, 17 deaths were recorded on Lagos waterway. In June 2023, about 100 persons died in Kwara State from a capsized river boat with 250 passengers.

In January 2024, 20 persons died in Rivers State, while eight died in Anambra State. On August 8, 25 persons lost their lives in Sokoto State. November 12, 2024 recorded 54 deaths in Kogi State. 

On September 2-3, 2025, 60 persons drowned in Gausawa, Niger State after an overloaded boat hit a tree stump. 

On October 1, 2025, on River Niger in Kogi, 26 traders died in similar boat accidents. 

Although NIWA reports a 30 per cent drop in 2024 and 72 per cent in early 2025 compared to 2022 record, crediting better enforcement, experts are still worried over ongoing issues like wooden boats and night travel.

Overloading, disregard for safety guidelines, and poor maintenance are the recurring culprits. Blaming bad weather excuses human negligence.

A multi-modal transport system should ease pressure on any single mode. Yet impassable roads, chronic traffic gridlock, and insecurity are pushing commuters toward reckless commercial motorcycle operators (okada riders), drive more people to unsafe boats, including unseaworthy ones.

Governments, its relevant agencies, and road users must prioritise road repairs to make them passable. Waterways should be valuable assets, especially in states like Lagos.

The Lagos State government must urgently overhaul LASWA to enforce safety standards and regulatory roles effectively, making waterways safer for public use.

Governments and private investors with the financial capacity should also fund modern operators to drive rickety boats out of business. Otherwise, frequent accidents will undermine efforts to promote water transportation nationwide.

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