- President of the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Nkereweum Onung (left), President of Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN), Ganiu Tarzan Balogun, and President of Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria (ATBOWATAN), Babatope Fejemirokun, during a sensitisation meeting on marine tourism and waterways safety in Lagos…Wednesday
By Anthony Nwachukwu
In a bid to revamp and deepen Nigeria’s maritime tourism using the blue and brown waters for business and pleasure, the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) has kicked off an awareness campaign with boat operators and associations in the littoral states.
FTAN President, Nkereweum Onung, who addressed the heads of boat operators’ associations in Lagos, including the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN), Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria (ATBOWATAN) and Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), said it was “time to prepare all sectors of tourism to attract outsiders.”
According to him, “if this sector is standardised, it will be safe for foreigners, and for us in Nigeria, to ensure that tourism thrives.” that waterways safety is key to revamping the marine sector tourism.
However, Onung expressed concern at the recent rising cases of boat accidents as red flag to boosting waterways transportation and by extension, marine tourism development. He urged the boat operators to abide by safety rules, and the relevant regulatory agencies to enforce the rules and punish deviance in order to ensure that standards are maintained.
Commending the synergy between the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Water Authority (LASWA) on safety enforcement as capable of restoring the glorious days of tourism, Onung further commiserated with those who lost persons, equipment or business in the recent accidents in Niger and Lagos states.
He recalled his recent two and half-hour boat ride from Lagos to Porto Novo, Benin Republic, noting that adequate mapping of the channel with the green and red safety signs was necessary to avoid similar sad occurrence like the recent ones.
He further noted that though foreign trips were become unsustainable for an average Nigerian family in view of the depreciating naira, it has also become expedient to promote local tourism, including maritime tourism activities, for both local and international tourists.
On his part, ATBOWANTAN President, Ganiu Balogun, called for more government investment in water transportation infrastructure, navigational aids and funding for marine police, while urging boat operators to enforce safety rules on water, including closure time, as there is yet no navigational equipment for night operation.
Also, WABOTAN President, Babatope Fajemirokun, disclosed that the operators were working to improve water transportation in Nigeria, especially along the West Coast, adding that trips from Lagos to Porto-Novo have dropped from 144 in 2023 to the 64 so far this year.
