The Lagos State government has expressed its readiness to lead the charge among West and Central African states to forge common safety frameworks, share crucial data and intelligence, and embrace innovative technologies that are essential to revolutionizing ferry safety in the region.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance at the 2025 Regional Ferry Safety Conference by the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA in partnership with the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa, MOWCA and INTERFERRY with the theme: “Charting Safer Waters: Advancing Ferry Safety Through Innovation, Collaboration, and Integrated Transport Solutions.
Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, welcomed participants to Lagos, describing it as a city renowned for its innovation and diversity.
He commended LASWA, MOWCA, and INTERFERRY for spearheading the initiative and emphasized the importance of the conference in light of the city’s growing population and urban transport needs.
”With over 25 million residents, the need for a robust ferry transportation system for urban mobility, tourism, and economic connectivity is undeniable, he said. ”However, as we embrace this growth, we must simultaneously uphold rigorous, enforceable, and technologically advanced safety standards”.
The Governor highlighted the state’s significant investments in ferry terminals, digital monitoring systems, rescue boats, and the locally built Omi Bus standard ferries.
He also pointed out the deployment of safety gear, implementation of stricter operational guidelines, and the establishment of the Inland Waterways Monitoring and Data Management Centre among others.
He called on stakeholders to adopt technologies such as GPS, radar, and automation. “Let this conference catalyze change,” he said, reaffirming the state’s commitment to safe and sustainable ferry operations.
Also speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, described the conference as a symbol of a shared commitment to safer, more innovative ferry systems.
Mr. Osiyemi stated that ferry safety is a continuous journey requiring collaboration and vigilance. “We must share knowledge, harmonize standards, build capacity, and, above all, act with unity and urgency,” he said, emphasizing the need to ensure safety for passengers across the region.
In his welcome remarks, the General Manager of LASWA, Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel stated that the conference aimed to harmonize policies, elevate technical standards, enhance infrastructure, and position ferry transport as a key part of urban and regional mobility.
Mr. Emmanuel outlined the conference agenda, which included high-level panels, workshops on vessel safety and innovation, and discussions with ferry operators.
He emphasized the importance of integrating global best practices and data-driven solutions in the Agency’s operations while reaffirming the state’s dedication to building a safer and more resilient ferry transport system through collaboration, innovation, and community involvement.
In his remarks, the Secretary General of MOWCA, Dr Paul Adalikwu said the choice of Lagos as the host of the 2day Conference was predicated on the fact that Lagos is a cosmopolitan city that operates a multimodal transport services system and has 22% water coverage area with an average of about 60,000 daily commuters crisscrossing the mainland and islands.
Also, the Chairman of Interferry, Tim Mooney explained that the challenges of ferry operations are similar globally, hence it is important for stakeholders to pool ideas together to ensure waterways safety.
He commended LASWA for its commitment to passengers’ safety through its life jacket drive, calling for heightened education to ensure residents overcome their phobias for water and affordability in the fares of ferries to deter passengers from patronizing unsafe and unlicensed operators who expose them to dangers on the waterways.