THE death toll from the boat mishap which occurred at Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 60.
This is as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has expressed deep concern over the persistent disregard for safety guidelines in water transportation following the recent boat accident in Niger State that claimed at least 27 lives.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday monitored by News point Nigeria, NIWA’s General Manager for Business Development, Olawale Adetola, said the tragedy underscores the urgent need for residents and operators to comply with established safety regulations.
“We are tired of hearing all these fatalities coming through boat accidents. We’ve done enlightenment and sensitisation of boat operators to be safety conscious.
“We have distributed life jackets, but by and large, people don’t adhere to the safety regulations we put in place,” Adetola lamented.
The ill-fated wooden boat, carrying 138 passengers, capsized on Monday along the Shagunu–Dunga axis of Kainji Lake, in Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred at 11:49am, with NIWA rescue teams arriving at the scene nearly two hours later.
Adetola suggested that the vessel may have struck a submerged log or hard object. He explained that several passengers survived because they wore life jackets, while others clung to those who had them.
As of Thursday morning, the official death toll stood at 60, with 26 men, 38 women, and an unspecified number of children rescued. Rescue divers are continuing to search for possible missing persons.
“The wooden boat sank but has since been removed, while rescue efforts are still ongoing,” confirmed Akapo Adeboye, NIWA’s Niger–Kwara Area Manager.
The agency said it is considering establishing community safety committees to reinforce enlightenment campaigns among local populations.
The Niger incident adds to a growing list of fatal boat accidents in northern Nigeria.
On August 17, 2025, more than 40 people were declared missing when a passenger boat heading to a market capsized in Sokoto.
In August 2024, 16 farmers died after a canoe carrying them to rice fields overturned in the same state.
On July 29, 2024, six schoolgirls drowned in Jigawa State after their boat capsized midstream while returning from farm work.
NIWA has pledged to intensify safety campaigns and strengthen enforcement measures, but officials stressed that community cooperation is critical to preventing future tragedies.