NEMA Urges Boat Operators To Get Licensed, Compulsory Life Jackets

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged the government to strengthen regulation of boat operations by ensuring that operators are licensed and certified, while making life jackets compulsory for both operators and passengers.

The call was made during a one-day refresher training on Urban Search and Rescue organised by the NEMA Gombe Operations Office for staff and critical stakeholders involved in emergency management.

The training, which focused on improving preparedness, coordination and response to emergencies, brought together participants from NEMA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Red Cross and other critical stakeholders.

Speaking during the training, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Gombe State Branch, Murtala Aliyu, said proper certification of boat operators was necessary to ensure they possess the required knowledge and qualifications before operating.

He said operators should also understand basic safety regulations, particularly those relating to passenger capacity and other requirements for safe boat operations.

“Government should regulate the operators of these boats. They should ensure that operators are licensed and given certificates, and that they have the necessary documents before they begin operating,” he said.

He also called for compulsory use of life jackets, saying both boat operators and passengers should wear them before any boat is allowed to depart.

According to him, enforcing the measures would strengthen safety and help reduce risks associated with water-related emergencies.

In her opening remarks, the Head of NEMA Gombe Operations Office, Hajiya Ummuna Ahmed, urged participants to apply the knowledge and techniques acquired during the training to real-life emergencies.

She stressed that effective disaster response required teamwork, clear communication, preparedness and strong inter-agency collaboration, noting that no single organisation could handle a major emergency alone.

“The knowledge, techniques and lessons acquired here should be taken back to our respective organisations and applied in real-life emergency situations. Effective disaster response requires teamwork, clear communication, discipline, preparedness and strong inter-agency collaboration.”

Also, one of the Facilitators and NEMA Chief Search and Rescue Officer, Kabiru Idris, explained that NEMA, as the coordinating agency for disaster management, could not handle major emergencies alone, stressing the need for agencies to bring their respective expertise and resources together.

Idris said agencies would also be expected to deploy their available equipment during emergencies, allowing them to combine resources where necessary to save lives.

He said the ultimate expectation from the training was an improved and effective emergency response, adding that the whole essence of response is to save life.

Participants were subsequently taken to the Dadin Kowa Dam for field exercises and practical demonstrations as part of the training.