FG donates lifejackets to Lagos waterways authority

 The former Osun state governor stated that they would be moving to other littoral states in the coming weeks.

Oyetola emphasised that the challenge posed by water is high and rarely detected, as fatalities across the country remain a grave concern to the government, stressing that many of the boat accidents are preventable and often arise from neglect of basic safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets.

“It is in recognition of this that the marine and blue economy aligned with the renewable agenda of the President of Nigeria to patronise life-saving interventions, to bring about tangible change in the nation’s waterways. Our commitment is to end the avoidable loss of lives on the Nigerian waterway,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the Lagos State Government, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, explained that due to the huge population of the state, it adopts a multi-modal transport system, which leads to movement via rail, road, and water.

“It will not only boost safety, it will also help in extending our reach now to a lot of our private operators that have, over time, had challenges in getting these life jackets. One thing that I can assure you is that it’s also going to reassure people.

“What we have is that people do have a phobia of water, but the moment they start seeing intentional moves on the waterways, more life jackets, and better boats on the waterways, we’ll be able to secure the waterways and free our roads from congestion,” Osiyemi stated