By Richard Benjamin
The use of life jackets has reduced deaths from boat accidents by about 60 per cent, the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC).
The commission’s Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, disclosed this on Saturday, July 18, during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Argungu in Argungu, Kebbi State, as part of a flood sensitisation campaign.
Sadiq-Yelwa said life jackets could keep victims afloat for up to six hours, providing sufficient time for rescue teams to arrive. “From our assessment, the use of life jackets has reduced the number of lives lost in boat accidents by about 60 per cent.
“A life jacket can keep a victim afloat for up to six hours, providing sufficient time for rescue teams to arrive,” he said. The managing director said N-HYPPADEC distributed about 20,000 life jackets across its mandate areas in 2025 and planned to distribute more than 50,000 additional jackets before the end of 2026.
He said the commission had recorded a significant reduction in boat accident fatalities following the distribution of life jackets in riverine communities. Sadiq-Yelwa urged residents of riverine communities in Kebbi to adopt proactive measures to reduce the impact of flooding, stressing that communities should not depend entirely on government intervention.
He said communities could undertake basic preventive measures, including desilting drainage channels and waterways, to reduce the risk of flooding. “Our visit is to sensitise communities on the need to be proactive in preventing floods.
“They should not wait for the government to do everything for them because there are certain things they can do on their own, such as desilting drains and waterways,” he said.
He, however, assured communities that the commission would intervene where the scale of a challenge exceeded their capacity. Sadiq-Yelwa disclosed that N-HYPPADEC would assist a community in Argungu that required extensive desilting to prevent flooding during the rainy season.
He said the commission would also evacuate about 6,000 linear metres of drainage channels from Bachaka to the Old Mosque near the Kanta Museum in Argungu to improve water flow and reduce flooding.
The managing director further announced plans to donate a modern boat to the Argungu Emirate to improve access to riverine communities. He added that the commission would survey alternative access routes for communities dependent on river transport and construct emergency shelters for people displaced by floods.
As part of the visit, Sadiq-Yelwa presented 100 life jackets to the Emir of Argungu for distribution to boat and canoe operators. He also urged traditional rulers to intensify awareness among boat operators on safety regulations, including avoiding night travel on waterways and not operating boats under the influence of drugs.
He said compliance with the measures would significantly reduce boat accidents. Responding, the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Samaila-Mera, commended N-HYPPADEC for its interventions aimed at reducing the impact of flooding in affected communities.
The emir urged hydroelectric power companies benefiting from the Kainji Dam to fulfil their statutory financial obligations to the commission to enable it to execute more development projects in host communities.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the prompt release of N-HYPPADEC’s statutory allocations before Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements.
“The commission’s interventions are vital to the safety and development of hydroelectric power-producing communities,” the emir said.
