In a decisive bid to curb recurring river disasters and safeguard riverine commuters along the Black Volta, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has convened a high-level stakeholder dialogue with Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs), security heads, traditional authorities, and boat operators at the Sem-B Hotel in Wa.

The multi-stakeholder forum, organised under the GMA's Life Jackets for Safety and Livelihoods Initiative, sought to build grassroots consensus, enforce a strict "No Life Jacket, No Boarding" policy, and establish institutional frameworks to eliminate fatal capsize incidents across the region's inland water corridors.

Addressing the gathering, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Naval Captain (Rtd) Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, underscored that every Ghanaian life is invaluable, citing last year's tragic disaster at Dikpe in the Lawra Municipality where seven students lost their lives.

He noted that while national maritime policy actively oversees international merchant shipping, port state control, and search-and-rescue coordination, inland water safety has now been elevated into a core operational priority under the current administration.

"We have had many years of boat disasters in Ghana, including here in our own region. While water transport fatalities account for a smaller percentage compared to road crashes, every life is important," Dr Kamal-Deen stated. "Since assuming office, one of the top priorities we have set for ourselves is to enhance inland water safety. We are meant to solve difficult problems, and we cannot leave them unsolved."

Dr Kamal-Deen highlighted that the GMA has established the Black Volta Coordination Office in Wa alongside regional command posts in Akosombo, Kete Krachi, Saboba, and Jomoro, with plans underway to open an additional post around Bole to cover the Kalba catchment area.

He added that the Authority has trained and deployed 200 Inland Water Safety Guards across the country, with the Upper West Region receiving a substantial share to monitor riverbanks and enforce passenger compliance.

Delivering a presentation on casualty trends and interventions, Deputy Director of Public Relations at the GMA, Issah Kantagere Issahaku, revealed that casualty investigations pinpointed non-compliance and the lack of standard life jackets as the leading causes of drowning.

He outlined tragic milestones, including eight fatalities in 2025 across three boat accidents (seven being students in the Lawra corridor), 12 children drowning at Okuma in the Kete Krachi area, and a 2026 disaster in the East Gonja District that claimed nine lives, including five members of a single family.

To eliminate financial barriers to compliance, Mr Issahaku announced that the GMA is offering standard life jackets normally retailing above GH₵400 at a heavily subsidised rate of GH₵250 per piece and GH₵230 for bulk community purchases, alongside low-cost rental schemes at landing points.

He also indicated that between 2019 and 2026, the GMA successfully removed 26,448 submerged tree stumps nationwide to clear navigational paths, with plans to expand the safety guard force from 200 to over 350 personnel.

Lawra Municipal Police Commander ASP Abdulai Kadir disclosed critical findings from the June 9, 2025, Dikpe boat tragedy, revealing that the canoe was manned by an unlicensed minor under 16 years who took on passengers far beyond the canoe's carrying capacity.

He appealed for clear legislative regulations and load-line standards to empower security agencies to arrest and prosecute non-compliant operators.

Lawra Municipal NADMO Director, Nyolee A. Ament, representing the Member of Parliament for Lawra, Bede Ziedeng Anwataazumo, stressed that distributing life jackets without aggressive, continuous public education would yield little result, urging operators to lead by example and refuse entry to passengers without safety gear.

Taking their turns to deliver commitments, local government heads pledged administrative and financial backing. Lawra Municipal Chief Executive, Cecelia Nuratu Soyele, pledged that the Assembly will collaborate with the local MP to co-fund and absorb a percentage of the life jacket costs.

She shared a startling observation from a recent riverbank inspection where distributed life jackets were found hung on trees rather than worn by commuters, calling for urgent MUSEC enforcement before peaking rainy season river surges.

Wa West District Chief Executive, Richard Wullo, highlighted that Wa West alone borders over 20 porous, unapproved river crossing points into Burkina Faso.

He committed to collaborating with traditional chiefs to streamline authorised crossing routes, standardising boat transport fares to stop commuters from seeking cheaper, illegal paths, and presenting the safety policy before the General Assembly for adoption.

Nandom Municipal NADMO Director, Fidelis Naaikuur, pledged to intensify grassroots sensitisation across riparian communities, mobilise local boat operators into structured associations to manage safety gear, and map out all crossing points within the municipality.

Deputy Director of PR, Issah Kantagere Issahaku, personally pledged to donate 15 life jackets—five each to Lawra, Nandom, and Wa West crossing points—within one week.

Responding to issues raised during the dialogue, Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali reaffirmed that the GMA is actively drafting a dedicated Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that will introduce strict age limits (barring minors from operating commercial boats), mandate vessel licensing, and classify boats strictly by use (fishing, passenger, or cargo).

He concluded by commending traditional leaders, the security services, and local assemblies for their shared ownership, urging landing site committees—comprising the chief, assembly member, boat operator lead, and safety guards—to lead grassroots compliance and ensure proper maintenance of life jackets.