Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep sorrow over the boat mishap in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, which left at least 29 people dead and dozens more missing. The accident, which occurred on Monday in Gausawa community, Malale Ward, has once again exposed the dangers of Nigeria’s poorly regulated inland waterways.
The wooden boat, said to be carrying about 90 passengers—mostly women and children—capsized after striking a tree stump in the river. Early reports point to overloading as a major factor, a recurring theme in similar accidents across Nigeria. Rescue efforts led by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency are still ongoing, with local divers and volunteers searching for missing passengers.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, Atiku described the incident as “a painful reminder of the urgent need to strengthen safety in our waterways.” He stressed that boat travel, though essential for millions in riverine communities, had been plagued for years by poor infrastructure, lack of enforcement, and dangerous disregard for safety standards.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party called for stricter measures, insisting that overloading must be outlawed, passenger capacities enforced, and life jackets made mandatory on all commercial boats. “The cost of safety is far cheaper than the cost of lives cut short in preventable tragedies,” Atiku said.
He extended condolences to the families of the victims, the Gausawa community, and the people of Niger State, praying that God grants comfort to the bereaved and eternal rest to the departed. His intervention adds political weight to rising calls for government action to prevent further tragedies on Nigeria’s waterways.
Boat accidents remain alarmingly frequent. In September 2023, 26 people drowned in Mokwa LGA, also in Niger State. Similar tragedies have unfolded in Kebbi, Kwara, Anambra, and Lagos, with analysts blaming a deadly mix of night travel, overcrowding, rickety boats, and lack of oversight. Each disaster has sparked outrage, but meaningful reforms have been slow to materialize.
This latest tragedy has reignited nationwide calls for urgent investments in water transport infrastructure, stricter monitoring, and provision of life-saving equipment. For communities like Gausawa, where waterways remain the only lifeline for trade and movement, these changes could mean the difference between safe passage and another round of avoidable mass burials.
