NIWA introduces travel card, insurance scheme for boat passengers

By Seun Ibiyemi

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced the introduction of a Travel Card and Insurance Scheme for Boat passengers using the waterways in Nigeria.

Disclosing this during a training organised for boat operators by the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN), the Head of Marine, NIWA Lagos office, Engr Elsie Egwuatu said the travel card would enable passengers to pay for their fares without using cash.

According to her, the insurance scheme is also a way of ensuring that in the event of any boat mishaps, the families of the affected passengers would be paid compensation by the insurance companies.

Speaking, she said, “With the travel card, waterways transportation users would now pay for their fares using the card, instead of making payments with cash.

“Also, the passengers of the boats would now be insured. If there are casualties or God forbid, Death, the insurance company would pay compensation to the bereaved families affected.”

Engr. Egwuatu also disclosed that NIWA Lagos Area Office would embark on clampdown of boat captains without drivers license l, beginning from 9th of June 2024.

“At the last meeting we held at our office, my Area Manager gave us 9th of June for all Captains to obtain their drivers license.

Since 2021 we have started the Captains training, now the authority is saying that before you are qualified to ply the Inland waterways, going forward as from June 9th 2024, you must have that Skippers license to enable you to operate.

“On the NIWA travel card and insurance scheme, we are going to hold a stakeholders session after putting all the modalities in place, in order to enlighten you all on how it would be done,” she said.