Fibre Boats Alone Cannot Correct Nigeria’s Waterways Safety Crisis

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola recent directive to phase out wooden boats in favor of fibre (fiberglass) and aluminium craft has ignited debate across Nigeria’s maritime sector.

Framed as a safety intervention after recurring accidents, the policy aims to reduce fatalities by eliminating what officials describe as “failure prone” vessels. Yet, industry stakeholders and riverine communities warn that material substitution alone cannot resolve the systemic safety crisis.

In this special report, Eguono Odjegba provides a comprehensive overview of the issues at stake and why a holistic approach in achieving the desired result must be pursued with clarity of purpose.

Government’s Position: A Visible Step Toward Safer Waters

Officials argue that banning wooden boats is a pragmatic way to raise standards quickly. Fibre boats, often produced from molds with repeatable specifications, are easier to inspect and certify. Regulators believe this shift will align with existing inland waterways codes, in terms of lifejackets mandate, passenger limits, registration, and inspections, among others.

But so far, stakeholders and critics have highlighted a number of blind spots which includes small operators financing so that this bracket is forced out of business, transition plans for local boat builders, and consistent enforcement across Nigeria’s sprawling and often informal jetties.

Unions and Maritime Workers: Support with Caveats

Maritime unions, including the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), cautiously support the ban. They see potential benefits in clearer rules, fewer adhoc repairs, and better survivability in capsizes if boats meet construction standards.

However, they stress that without certified skippers, standardized safety gear, and rigorous training, new hulls will not change outcomes. “A fibre boat without a trained operator is no safer than a wooden one,” one union representative noted.

Analysts and Riverine Communities: Material Is Not the Core Problem

Independent analysts and riverine residents counter that many wooden boats fail not because of their material, but because they are old, poorly maintained, or crudely built without standards. They argue that replacing “weak boats” with “sound boats”, regardless of material, would be more effective if accompanied by strict enforcement of safety basics.

Equity concerns also loom large. A sudden ban risks pushing small operators out of business unless financing, phased timelines, and local manufacturing support are provided.

Comparative Snapshot: Wood vs Fibre

This comparison underscores that neither material is inherently unsafe. Both demand standards, inspections, and proper maintenance.

What’s Missing in the Debate

Data transparency: Accident reports rarely disaggregate causes such as weather, overloading, operator error, or hull failure. Without cause based data, material bans risk being symbolic.

Transition plan: Sadly and typically, the ministerial directive has no clear timelines, financing mechanisms, and certification pathways for builders and operators; as well as remains undefined.

Local industry strategy: Artisans who build wooden boats need support to upgrade craftsmanship or pivot into composite fabrication.

The Real Safety Hierarchy

Experts emphasize that safety outcomes depend less on hull material and more on the following:

Enforced passenger limits, mandatory lifejackets regime, certified skippers and crew drills, weather/no-go rules, regular inspections and flotation standards and functioning emergency response systems. Without these, switching from wood to fibre boats in order to attain safety is cosmetic.

Necessary Policy Options

If the ban proceeds there should be a phased transition over 12–24 months, financing schemes for operators, local manufacturing support, and buy back or retrofit programmmes for viable wooden hulls.

Focus must shift to standards. Dual compliance allowing both wooden and fibre boats that meet design and inspection codes, public compliance scorecards, and targeted enforcement of loading and night travel rules must prevail.

Conclusion

Hull material is secondary. Fibre boats may simplify standardization, but wooden boats can be safe when built and maintained to code. What will actually save lives is a culture of enforcement. This includes capacity limits, lifejackets, trained skippers, weather protocols, inspections, and emergency response.

Until we address these systemic gaps, fibre boats alone cannot correct the safety crisis on our waterways.