Maritime safety took centre stage as delegates from across West and Central Africa gathered in Lagos for the 2025 Regional Ferry Safety Conference, where experts spotlighted the recurring tragedies plaguing ferry operations in the sub-region and collectively endorsed the Libreville Plan of Action as the most structured pathway to change.
The two-day conference, hosted by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in collaboration with the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) and INTERFERRY, brought together policymakers, ferry operators, maritime regulators, and international partners.
In his keynote address, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the state was committed to not only developing its inland waterways infrastructure but also setting a new benchmark for safety. 鈥淔erry safety must go beyond local enforcement. We must create a regional culture backed by modern technology, sound policies, and shared responsibility,鈥 he said, citing Lagos鈥檚 investments in digital surveillance, modern jetties, and the locally manufactured Omi Bus fleet.
Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, echoed the urgency for sustained collaboration. 鈥淔erry incidents in one part of our region affect us all. Safety must be seen not as a destination but a journey that we must walk together- governments, private operators, regulators, and communities,鈥 he stated.
Dr. Paul Adalikwu, Secretary-General of MOWCA in his opening remark, described the conference as 鈥渁 necessary call to arms,鈥 following years of avoidable tragedies. 鈥淚n the last decade alone, over 8,000 lives have been lost to ferry accidents in our region, with Nigeria, Senegal, and the DRC being the most affected.鈥
Citing the Esther Miracle ferry disaster in Gabon, which led to the dismissal of the country鈥檚 transport minister in 2023, Dr. Adalikwu said MOWCA was motivated to act.
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鈥淔ollowing the Gabon conference that birthed the Libreville Plan of Action, we saw the need to bring this momentum to Nigeria. Lagos, as a major ferry hub, is the right place to drive this awareness across the 36 states,鈥 he added.
Key safety concerns raised include poor safety culture, weak enforcement of management systems, inadequate health support and equipment, limited navigation tools, unregulated vessel modifications, and inconsistent accident investigations.
In response, the Libreville Plan of Action sets out 12 goals, notably: fostering a safety-first culture, enforcing safety audits, improving crew welfare, upgrading navigation systems, standardising training, codifying rescue duties, and creating a regional accident database, with support from the IMO and WMU.
The global ferry community was also well represented. INTERFERRY CEO, Mr. Mike Corrigan, and maritime safety advocate, Mary Ann Pastrana, urged African nations to build a 鈥渏ust ferry culture.鈥
LASWA General Manager, Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, said Lagos was not only hosting but also embodying the vision of the conference: 鈥淭hrough coordinated reforms in infrastructure, capacity-building, and digital monitoring, we are showing that a safer ferry system is not only possible. It is within reach.鈥