FG Moves To Strengthen Maritime Safety, Accident Reporting
The Federal Government has moved to strengthen Nigeria’s maritime safety framework by clarifying the responsibilities of relevant agencies and improving the reporting and investigation of accidents on the nation’s waterways.
The move followed discussions between the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on a clearer framework for inter-agency collaboration, including a proposed protocol requiring marine casualties to be reported to investigators within one hour.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, made this known in Abuja when she received a delegation from the NSIB led by its Director-General, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr.
Mahmood said the ministry was conducting a comprehensive review of the marine and blue economy sector to ensure that government agencies were properly positioned to fulfil their statutory responsibilities and work towards common national objectives.
She stressed the need for clearly defined institutional responsibilities, particularly in maritime safety, accident investigation, regulation and enforcement.
According to her, the effectiveness of the country’s waterways safety system would depend not only on the number of agencies involved but also on clear lines of responsibility and effective coordination.
She noted that institutional overlaps and ambiguity could weaken accountability, particularly when maritime accidents occur.
Badeh, however, raised concerns over weaknesses in the existing accident-reporting system, saying delays often affected the quality of investigations.
He explained that investigators who arrive late at accident scenes could find that critical evidence had been tampered with, looted, washed away or destroyed by weather and water currents.
To address the challenge, the NSIB director-general proposed a formal casualty notification protocol involving the ministry, NSIB and relevant operating agencies, with accidents required to be reported within one hour.
He said the proposed system would establish clearer reporting obligations for agencies and operators while enabling investigators to reach accident scenes promptly and preserve vital evidence.
Badeh also called for the integration of independent marine casualty investigations into ongoing national maritime policy reforms.
He stressed that agencies with different mandates must work in a coordinated manner to improve safety and accountability across Nigeria’s waterways.
He clarified that agencies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have responsibilities covering areas such as licensing, inspections and operations, while the NSIB is mandated to conduct independent, no-blame safety investigations.
The emerging framework is expected to place greater emphasis on timely accident reporting, preservation of evidence and implementation of safety recommendations as the government seeks to strengthen accountability and reduce preventable deaths on Nigeria’s waterways.
