Sokoto boat disaster sparks coast guard bill push
The Provisional Committee of the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC‑NCG), has urged the Senate to fast‑track passage of the Coast Guard Bill following last week’s deadly boat mishap in Sokoto State.
More than 50 people, mostly children aged 10 to 15, drowned on 20 August when a vessel carrying farmers to rice fields capsized in Goronyo Local Government Area. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed that about 40 bodies have been recovered, with search operations still under way.
Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Provisional Committee of the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC‑NCG), has urged the Senate to fast‑track passage of the Coast Guard Bill following last week’s deadly boat mishap in Sokoto State.
More than 50 people, mostly children aged 10 to 15, drowned on 20 August when a vessel carrying farmers to rice fields capsized in Goronyo Local Government Area. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed that about 40 bodies have been recovered, with search operations still under way.
In a statement issued on Sunday, PC‑NCG described the tragedy as a “national emergency” and warned that recurring boat accidents underscored Nigeria’s lack of a dedicated maritime safety agency.
Signed by Dr Piriye Kiyaramo on behalf of Chief Executive Capt. Noah Ichaba, the statement argued that the proposed Coast Guard would enforce vessel safety standards, passenger limits, life‑jacket compliance and patrols across inland waterways and coastal areas.
“The children of Gorau did not have to die. Policy delay is costing lives,” Ichaba said, adding that the Sokoto disaster should serve as a catalyst for decisive action.
The committee said the Coast Guard would complement NIWA, NIMASA, NEMA and the Navy by strengthening enforcement and coordinating rapid search and rescue operations. It urged lawmakers to treat the bill as a matter of national security, public safety and human rights, and called for immediate funding once presidential assent is secured. Opposition to the proposal, it added, should not override evidence‑based consideration of Nigeria’s maritime safety needs. “No Blue Economy without Blue Security and Blue Justice,” the statement concluded.
