NIWA Inaugurates Search and Rescue Centre in Lagos

By Innocent Orok

Barely a month after activating navigational aids in Lagos Waterways, the Federal government regulatory agency on brown water economy, National Inland waterways Authority, (NIWA) Tuesday, last week ramped up more safety timelines for Lagos waters by setting up a Search and Rescue Centre.

To ensure the centre is adequately manned to respond to emergencies, about seventeen 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, were also drilled on basic training on Radio Communication skills and how to use same to strategically network with crafts and other national emergency agencies as specified by International Maritime Organization ( IMO) whenever a Save Our Soul ( SOS) Operational situation arises on water.

In a brief remark during the training outing for the Lagos safety team and inauguration of the S and R Centre , Engineer Sarat Lara Braimah,. Area Manager, NIWA Lagos, expressed deep appreciation to the Managing Director of NIWA , Dr George Moghalu for approving and setting up the Search and Rescue Centre , barely few weeks after unveiling navigational buoys to guide and roadmap safe water transportation in Lagos.

She also commended the General Manager, Marine, NIWA Headquarters, Engineer, Joseph Ororo for his encouragement and reiterated that by these enduring safety measures, Dr moghalu has challenged the Lagos Area Office of the agency to brace up for effective discharge of its mandate to stakeholders and sundry users of the busy Lagos waterways.

Engineer Braimah further informed team Lagos Rescue Centre that to whom much is given, much is expected, and appealed that the time has come for all hands to be on deck as safety issues requires deep interpretation, implemention and joint execution.