Prevalent Safety Hazards and Safety Practices in Maritime Transportation in Selected States in Southern Nigeria

This study seeks to determine existing safety hazards and practices in the inland water transportation sector in selected states of southern Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study and the target population for the study included the operators, commuters and regulators of inland water transportation in the study areas. Data were collected through questionnaires, field observations and oral interviews. A total of 2375 questionnaires were distributed across the six states. The study showed that a wide range of maritime safety hazards and practices bedeviled the inland water transportation sector in Nigeria. The findings of the study showed that the use of incompetent boat operators was the most prevailing maritime hazard in the study area, because it ranked highest, with 72.6% of respondents in agreement, while non-compliance to alcohol and drug policies by operators, no use of journey management forms and safety briefs rarely conducted before departure were the highest ranked unsafe practices with 70.8%, 72.7% and 72% respondents in agreement respectively. The study recommended that relevant authorities, such as Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) should provide competent and trained boat operators, construct standard jetties, ensure standard and routinely maintained boats are used and ensure maritime safety standards and regulations are adhered to by boat operators and maritime workers to prevent incidents and breakdown of boats along waterways in the study area.