Di tree stump siddon for di riverbed for who sabi how long, bin hide under di shiny water for Niger River.

Suddenly, one big gbam scatter di peace, troway plenty passengers wey dey shout comot from di wooden boat. Di boat don jam di thing wey dey hide under di water.

As pipo dey shout for help, rescuers from nearby villages dive enter di river to save who dem fit carry comot. But for plenty pipo, help no reach on time.

Local authorities talk say di boat dey carry more than 100 pipo go one condolence event before e sink near Gausawa community for Borgu, Niger State, wey dey north-central Nigeria.

At least 60 pipo lose dia life for di September 2 wahala, wey happen for condition wey don dey too common for di kontri.

Nigeria waterways big well well – e dey stretch reach 8,600 kilometre, di third longest for Africa after Chad and Congo. Di rivers, like Niger and Benue, plus di coastal routes from Badagry to Calabar, dey connect rural communities and help pipo move goods.

But di problem be say, safety rules no dey follow for di waterways. Study wey dem publish for International Journal of Scientific Research show say from 2010 to 2021, 2,346 pipo don die for 266 boat accidents. Di worst year na 2021, and most of di accidents fit no happen if dem follow safety rules.

Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority confirm say di problem dey real. Ibrahim Hussaini, wey be director for Niger State Emergency Management Agency, talk say di laws dey, but people no dey obey dem.

Heavy traffic for di waterways, plus di boats wey dey carry plenty agricultural products, dey increase di risk of accident. For 2018, eleven pipo die for Lagos when one passenger boat jam another wooden boat for Apapa waterfront.

Abbas Garba Idriss, wey be president for Risk Managers' Society of Nigeria, talk say dem need train di captains of di boats well well and make sure di crew sabi wetin dem dey do. E talk say dem suppose fit use instruments wey go show dem di obstacles or bad weather.

Apart from human error, di waterways don dey more dangerous because dem no dey maintain am well. Safety expert Moses Ochonogor talk say if dem dey check di busy routes well, dem for fit warn boat operators about di tree stumps wey dey hide under di water.

Di rescue system for di kontri still get plenty wahala. Idriss talk say no boat suppose leave jetty without rescue support. If trained responders dey di boat, e fit save life when accident happen.

Every rainy season, di news of capsized boats and families wey lose dia pipo dey increase. Last December, 54 pipo drown for Niger River after one overloaded boat wey carry more than 200 passengers sink.

Authorities don dey try to face di safety problem. Hussaini talk say dem don start water safety campaign for rural areas and dem dey push for strict punishment for boat operators wey no obey rules.

Experts dey recommend say make dem invest for monitoring, enforcement and awareness to reduce di risk. Idriss talk say water transport suppose be blessing for Nigeria, but until dem put safety first, di tragedy go continue.