BY ADAKU WALTER
Barely a month after activating navigational aids in Lagos, Federal Government regulatory agency on brown water economy, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has strengthened safety timelines for Lagos
waters by setting up a search and rescue centre.
To ensure that the centre is adequately manned to respond to emergencies, about 17 members of staff of the marine department in the Lagos area office were trained on how to activate, identify and direct safety ecology towards distressed crafts on water. The NIWA Lagos Search and Rescue team, was also drilled on basic
training on Radio Communication skills and how to use same to network with crafts and other national emergency agencies, as specified by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) whenever a save our soul (SOS)
operational situation arose on water.
Speaking at the training outing for the Lagos safety team and inauguration of the Centre, Area Manager, NIWA Lagos, Sarat Lara Braimah, commended the Managing Director of the agency, Dr. George Moghalu, for approving and setting up the Centre, barely few weeks after unveiling navigational buoys to guide and roadmap safe water
transportation in Lagos.
She also applauded the General Manager, Marine, NIWA Headquarters, Joseph Ororo, for his encouragement and restated that by these enduring safety measures, it had challenged the Lagos area office to brace up for effective discharge of its mandate to stakeholders and other users of the Lagos waterways.
Braimah further appealed to the team Lagos Rescue Centre to collaborate as safety issues require deep interpretation, implementation and joint execution.
