117 Die In Northern Nigeria Boat Accidents In 8 Months

At least 117 Nigerians have died in three separate boat mishaps recorded in northern Nigeria between 1 January 1 and August 21, 2026, LEADERSHIP Sunday has learnt.

The incidents, which occurred in Yobe, Jigawa and Sokoto states, have renewed concerns over safety standards on Nigeria’s inland waterways, particularly in rural and riverine communities where boats remain a major means of transportation.

LEADERSHIP Sunday had reported that at least 25 people died and 14 others remained missing after a boat carrying dozens of passengers capsised in Yobe State in January.

Similarly, 40 people were confirmed dead following the capsising of a wooden boat in Jigawa State in July 2026. The latest tragedy occurred in Sokoto State, where the death toll from a boat accident in the northwestern state rose to 52, according to officials.

Authorities in Sokoto State reported on Friday morning that the number of people killed when an overloaded boat capsized. Most of the victims were reportedly children.

The three separate incidents have highlighted persistent safety gaps in inland water transport, with overloading, cultural beliefs, speeding, and night-time travel identified as factors that threaten the safety of passengers and operators.

A boat operator, Kolade Oguntoyinbo, said there was an urgent need for sustained sensitisation programmes in various local languages to educate communities about the importance of adhering to safety regulations.

According to him, changing the attitudes and behaviours of people living near waterways remains one of the major challenges to efforts to reduce boat mishaps.

“The major challenge we face is the behaviour, character and attitude of the locals. They believe nothing can happen to them on the water because they were born and live around it. So, when engaging them,” he said.

Oguntoyinbo also called for the replacement of wooden boats with fibre boats, saying the use of wooden vessels had become outdated and posed safety risks to passengers.

He said, “Another area of challenge is the shortage of fibre boats. We have been encouraging the government, telling them that this wooden boat is archaic. People need to begin now to change the trajectory. Members of the Boat Owners and Freshwater Association need to work together to enforce safety.’’

He said government and relevant agencies must strictly enforce the use of life jackets, prevent overloading and ensure that only vessels that meet safety standards are allowed to operate.

Oguntoyinbo said the government should enforce a no-life-jacket, no-entry policy for wooden boats: no life jacket, no travel; no life jacket, no boarding, while ensuring that no overloading occurs.

“To ensure there is no speeding, and to ensure that if you travel after 6 pm, NIWA, with the Marine Police, alongside Civil Defence and DSS, will work together as a team to ensure arrests. If you are arrested, such people will be prosecuted and jailed. These are things we’re setting out to do,” he said.

He further urged the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to intensify efforts to mark and buoy navigational routes, thereby providing safer channels for boats operating on inland waterways.

According to him, some waterways have already been surveyed and equipped with buoys to aid navigation.

“In terms of buoyancy, we hope the government buoyed the Bagibo Mokwa to Bagibo Muti,” he stated.

Also speaking, Chukwu Onoja decried what he described as a pattern of indiscipline among some boat operators and passengers, including habitual overloading of boats, transporting goods well beyond capacity, and neglecting to wear life jackets.

He warned that unsafe practices, together with inadequate enforcement, would continue to cause avoidable tragedies on Nigeria’s rivers and waterways.

“We cannot continue to watch our people die in accidents that could have been avoided. The government must not only issue safety directives but also ensure strict enforcement and prosecute anyone who violates these laws,” he declared.

Onoja drew parallels between unsafe boating practices and the dangers posed by overloaded road vehicles, noting that just as buses crammed with passengers and luggage can cause fatal accidents, boats overloaded beyond their capacity can become disasters waiting to happen.

He stressed that every passenger should be provided with a life jacket and compelled to wear it before departure.

According to him, enforcement must go beyond issuing directives or conducting symbolic checks. He urged the government to deploy trained safety officers at departure points along major waterways to inspect vessels, monitor passenger compliance, and stop any operator who fails to meet prescribed safety standards.

He also emphasised the importance of community participation, calling on traditional leaders, youth groups and transport unions to join the campaign against recklessness on the waterways.

He said community vigilance was vital because most waterway transport activities occur in rural and riverine areas where government monitoring is often limited.

He noted that although government officials often arrive to console victims after accidents, the focus should instead be on proactive safety measures to prevent such incidents.

“Our focus must shift from condolence after disaster to prevention before disaster. That is the only way to save lives and protect the livelihoods of our people,” he said.

Meanwhile, calls to the National Public Relations Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Makama Sulaiman, seeking the authority’s response on measures being taken to reduce boat mishaps in the country, particularly in northern Nigeria, went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.