By joshua 
Ibaji Boat Mishap: KONGONET Condoles Victims, Calls for Immediate Relief, Long-Term Reforms in Marine Transport
The Kogi NGOs Network (KONGONET), the umbrella body of civil society organizations in Kogi State, expresses deep sorrow over the tragic boat mishap in Ibaji Local Government Area, which has once again claimed innocent lives and left survivors traumatized.
This unfortunate incident adds to a recurring history of boat accidents in Kogi State, particularly in riverine communities where water transport remains a vital means of mobility and trade. While accidents can occur, the frequency and severity of boat mishaps in Kogi State are no longer within acceptable exceptions. Survivors and families of victims deserve both immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term structural solutions to prevent further tragedies.
KONGONET calls on the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and relevant government bodies to immediately provide urgent relief materials, psychosocial support, and medical care for survivors. They should also extend support to families of victims through emergency grants and counseling services. Most importantly there should be deployment of safety teams to monitor high-risk river crossings in Ibaji and other LGAs.
In the long term, KONGONET urges the Kogi State Government to:
1. Establish a Marine Transport Regulatory Framework in partnership with communities and civil society.
2. Enforce compulsory use of life jackets, passenger limits, and night-time travel restrictions.
3. Invest in modern water transport infrastructure including safer boats, designated terminals, and emergency rescue stations.
4. Strengthen coordination among transport unions, local governments, and safety agencies to ensure compliance.
5. Integrate disaster risk reduction strategies into the state’s development planning, particularly for vulnerable riverine LGAs.
In conclusion the Ibaji boat tragedy is a painful reminder of the urgent need for both immediate humanitarian support and systemic reform in Kogi’s marine transport sector.
KONGONET stands in solidarity with the affected families and commits to working with stakeholders to ensure that such preventable disasters become a thing of the past.
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Hamza Aliyu
Chairman, KONGONET