FG to Deliver 2,500 More Life Jackets to Kwara to Prevent Boat Accidents
The Federal Government has pledged to deliver an additional 2,500 life jackets to Kwara State, following an earlier donation of 1,000, as part of a broader drive to improve water-transport safety in riverine communities.
The life jackets were presented in Ilorin by Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, represented there by Dr. Mercy Ilori, Director of Maritime Services.
He described the initiative as a strategic measure aimed at preventing frequent and often fatal boat mishaps, which he blamed mainly on poor safety practices, notably, failure to wear life jackets.
Oyetola outlined the government’s three-pronged approach to tackling waterway accidents: enforcing the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations, 2023, sustaining public education on water safety, and distributing life-saving gear like life jackets.
The donated life jackets are slated for distribution across riverine local government areas in Kwara, including Patigi, Edu, Baruten, Kaiama, and Moro.
Speaking on behalf of the Kwara state government, Prof. Mamman Jibril, Secretary to the State Government, urged residents and boat operators to use the jackets rather than store them unused at home:
“We should not keep the jacket at home … we must use it for our safety.”
Also present, the Kwara State Commissioner for Transport, Aliyu Sabi, praised the effort as evidence of the commitment of both President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to protecting citizens’ lives.
The federal ministry reiterated its “No Life Jacket, No Entry” policy for inland water travel, warning that passengers who refuse to wear life jackets jeopardize their safety.