• Monday, February 10, 2025
businessday logo

BusinessDay

Kwara boat mishap: WABOTAN vows to keep adhering to safety rules

Navy rescues 8 police officers, other from boat accident

To avoid a repeat of the fatal boat mishap that occurred at the Pategi Local Government Area of Kwara State in which over 100 people lost their lives, members of Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria Waters (WABOTAN), have vowed to keep adhering to safety measures.

Babatope Fajemirokun, national president of WABOTAN, who made the promise, said the association is deeply saddened by the reports of the Kwara boat mishap.

Fajemirokun said condoled with the affected families, the government and the good people of Kwara State over the painful incident.

“As stakeholders in the water transport sector in Nigeria, we have been committed to playing our role in the needed efforts to transform the water transport sector and the strict adherence to safety and security measures to forestall such mishaps. This has formed part of our core objectives which is training and retraining of boat captains and deckhands, to build capacity and ensure safety and security on our waterways,” he said.

Fajemirokun said the association usually carry out training boat captains and deckhands in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

According to him, it has contributed to Lagos State recording immense improvement in the safety and security of passengers on its water.

“Our next capacity building and safety training programme comes up this November in Lagos and we are making efforts to extend this training to Kwara and other states across the country where water transportation has been embraced as a means of moving people and goods from one place to another,” he added.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date

Open In Whatsapp