Transportation is the pivot around which the wheel of every modern economy revolves. The efficiency with which people, goods and services can move from one point to the other largely determines the quality of life of the society. Lagos is the undisputed economic nerve centre of West Africa, with every potential to become the 3rd largest mega city in the world after Shanghai and Mumbai. Lagos population is estimated to consist of about 20 million people, making it the 3rd largest city in the world.
Addressing the transportation and traffic challenges of a complex Mega city like Lagos has been a major priority of subsequent administrations in the state. Today, many mega cities of the world depend on more than one mode of transportation and Lagos will not be an exception. Therefore, the need to exploit alternative means of transportation mode cannot be over-emphasized given the complex nature of the sector in the state. One of such other alternatives being exploited by the Lagos state government with passion is water transportation. This is quite logical since Lagos is an island surrounded by various water bodies.
To this end, the state government has already identified seven corridors for development and mass transportation. It is a big relief for commuters that operations have begun on Ikorodu –Marina, Badore –Admiralty- Osborne to Marina and also Ijede to admiralty. This serves as an alternative means of transportation and has reduced traffic jam associated with major roads in Lagos, especially on those axes.
Today, from one operation route in 2007, Lagos is running water transport on 12 routes (Ikorodu-Marina/CMS; Marina – Mile 2; Ikorodu – Addax/Falomo; Ikorodu-Ebute Ero; Marina-Ijegun Egba-Ebute-Ojo; Mile 2 – Marina/CMS-Mekwen-Falomo; Badore – Ijede; Badore – Five Cowries; Marina – Oworonshonki; Ebute Ojo – Ijegun Egba; Oworonshonki – Five Cowries and Baiyeku – Langbasa) under the supervision of Lagos State Waterways Authority while passenger traffic has grown to over one million passengers per month and it is increasing. This has also created additional new jobs with economic multiplier effects on families and society.
However, recent boat accidents along the Lagos waterways have suddenly brought into the spotlight the question of safety for people who travel on waters.
Indeed, many have canvassed for the total abolition of water transportation in the state in view of what they consider as the many dangers of travelling on waters. This is, however, taking it too far. It is like cutting one’s head to spit the nose.
Without a doubt, there is no mode of transportation that is completely immune from accidents. For instance, available statistics reveal that Nigeria has the second highest rate of road accidents among 193 countries while deaths from road accidents are the third foremost source of death in the country. With regards to air transportation, since June 4, 1956, when a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) four-engine Canadair C-4 Argonaut airliner crashed into a tree on departure from Kano Airport, killing three of the seven crew members and 29 of the 38 passengers, the nation has witnessed over forty other air crashes, with some of them resulting into monumental losses.
Consequently, rather than casting a dark shadow over the viability of water transportation in the state, stakeholders ought to be more concerned with coming up with ideas that could help consolidate modest gains recorded in the sector. It would be an overstatement to say that integrating intermodal system of transportation is necessary in a place like Lagos. This explains why the state government has been making efforts to integrate safety culture in the sector.
To this end, the state government in continuation of its quest to encourage inter- modal transportation, has not only been encouraging operators in the sector to emphasize on the use of life jackets but have equally been involved in the free distribution of same from time to time. The goal is to ensure safety on our water ways by ensuring that passengers who intend to board a canoe, ferry or outboard motorboat do so by putting on a life jacket before boarding. An analysis of accidents on Lagos waters shows that passengers may have been able to survive, if they had put on life vests, before venturing to travel on waters.
Similarly, the state government has been organizing safety awareness campaigns for passengers and operators. This becomes necessary since water transportation now accounts for moving between 1.5 to 1.6 million passengers monthly in the state. When compared to 200,000 passengers that used the mode of transportation some seven years ago, this, indeed, is a great improvement.
The beauty of it all is that the state government is not resting on its oars. It is continuously working hard to ensure that the waters become safer for commuters who chose to travel on them. Works are on-going on the concessioning of more ferry terminals in order to increase patronage. The state has equally completed the dredging of the Ojo waterways down to Lagos Island and has installed lifebuoys and navigational signs for boat operators in the state. Similarly, at a recent stakeholders’ forum, the state government has suspended, for now, all activities relating to sand dredging on water ways across the state. This is to ensure that new operational modalities agreed upon by all stakeholders are arrived upon. The overall objective is to guarantee safety on our water ways. Equally, while speaking at the recently held Corporate Assembly event, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode assured prospective investors in water transportation that efforts are on going to guarantee good returns for investment in the sector.
As it has been previously stated, water transport, like other modes of transportation is certainly not invulnerable, but none provision of life jackets by operators, refusal of some passengers to use life jackets, activities of illegal sand dredgers, poor weather condition and hazardous waters remain key factors for disaster on Lagos waters. While it is true that stronger government regulation could increase safety on the waters, boat operators, passengers and other stakeholders equally need to adhere strictly to crucial safety measures. It is only in doing this that the waters will become safer for all.
Tayo Ogunbiyi
Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
