150 rescued, about 150 missing after boat sinks in Niger state

Dozens are feared dead after a boat carrying nearly 300 passengers, mostly women and children returning from a religious festival, capsized in Niger State.

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday around 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) on the River Niger, according to Abdullahi Baba Arah, the head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency.

Rescue workers, alongside local volunteers from Mokwa, have so far rescued around 150 people. However, the search for survivors continues.

“The search and rescue operation is still ongoing to locate more survivors,” Mr Arah said in a statement.

Ismaila Umar, a leader of a boat skippers’ association in Mokwa, expressed doubts about the chances of finding more survivors, given the conditions of the accident, according to Reuters.

This is the second major boat disaster in Niger State in just 18 months. In a previous tragedy, over 100 people lost their lives in a similar accident, underlining the chronic issues of overcrowding and poor boat maintenance that plague Nigeria’s waterways.

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A Pluboard investigation earlier this year revealed widespread regulatory and operational failings in Nigeria’s water transport system, contributing to frequent deadly boat accidents.

Between 2019 and 2023, Nigeria recorded 71 fatal boat incidents, resulting in at least 1,072 deaths. Data collected showed that 2023 has been the deadliest year so far, with 421 fatalities, including a catastrophic accident in Kwara State in June that claimed 106 lives. Other major accidents took place in Taraba (100 deaths) and Kebbi (98 deaths).

Since the Kwara tragedy, the country has experienced 15 more boat accidents, leading to 278 additional fatalities. The most recent occurred on April 10, 2023, in Delta State’s section of the River Niger, killing five people, including Nollywood actor Junior Pope.

The investigation highlighted several causes of these accidents, including the rampant use of dilapidated boats, night-time travel, overcrowding, lack of safety equipment, and weak regulatory enforcement. Local leaders, many of whom own the boats, often have conflicting interests in enforcing safety standards.

Government interventions have been insufficient, with regulators prioritizing urban areas and leaving remote communities, heavily reliant on water transport, with minimal oversight and emergency services. This has allowed dangerous, unregulated trips to continue, with lives regularly put at risk.

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) acknowledged these ongoing challenges, particularly regarding the quality of boats operating on Nigeria’s waterways.