Drowning Rate Alarming, Prevention Requires Collaboration, Say Stakeholders 

Bennett Oghifo

Participants at a recent roundtable organised to mark the 2023 Drowning Prevention Day and sustainable Development Goals, have described as alarming the high rate of drowning in the country.

The roundtable, organised by a consultancy known as Bridging Acquatics, deliberated on how to prevent drowning in the country, with a call by the Chairman, Prince Dapo Adelegan, for collaboration among strategic partners and stakeholders for the success of the campaign and advocacy.

Bridging Aquatics is a global consultancy and socio-economic development firm that is highly sought after by governments, global institutions and corporations for its pioneering leadership and expertise in the field of water safety, drowning prevention and aquatic participation for socio-economic development specifically for Africa, Caribbean and Asian communities.

The guest speaker at the Roundtable, Dr. Femi Olugbile, who discussed “Tackling the Public Health Hazard of Drowning in Nigeria”, said “In June 2023, a boat carrying 250 people across the Niger River in Kwara state as they returned home from a late-night wedding hit a log of wood and broke apart. Some of the passengers were rescued. 108 died. Most of them were women and children.

“In the same month of June, 2023, medical students from Universities all across Nigeria met in Calabar for their annual convention, which was hosted by the Students’ Medical Association of the University of Calabar. At the conclusion of their meeting, some of the students were offered the chance to go on a boat cruise to explore their maritime host city.

“Along the way, their speedboat capsized. Two medical students from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and one medical student from University of Uyo drowned. Their bodies were later recovered by the police.

“Early in the morning on Monday, February 20, 2023, a commercial passenger ferry named Fazma Logistics, loaded with 17 passengers left Ikorodu ferry terminal, en route Ebute Ero. Near the Third Mainland bridge, close to Bariga, it capsized. All the passengers were rescued alive.”

Dr. Olugbile gave a global perspective saying, “According to the World Health Organisation WHO, there were 6,584 deaths from drowning in Nigeria in 2020. These were 0.44 per cent of total deaths in the country. The age-adjusted Death Rate from drowning is 2.17 per 100,000 of the population. Nigeria is ranked 107 in the world on the basis of frequency of drowning incidents. 

“There is a heavy burden in terms of human misery, social dislocation, and economic consequences following every drowning incident. A parent who loses a child to drowning carries a load of guilt and suffering that may endure throughout a lifetime.

“The World Drowning Prevention Initiative is spreading to ever-increasing numbers of countries across the world. It is being celebrated for the first time in Nigeria this year. The theme for the 2023 celebration is ‘Do one thing to prevent drowning’.

“The intention clearly is to spread the message to all the nooks and crannies of every country, and to generate action from governments as well as the public at large. The initiative, championed by Bridging Aquatics in Nigeria, will bring the problem to the forefront of public attention as a public health hazard that needs to be addressed.”

Chief Executive, Bridging Aquatics, Mrs. Danielle Obe urged stakeholders to collaborate to fight the alarming rate of drowning in Nigeria, in Africa and Asia, stating that “Each year, an underestimated 372 000 people die from drowning. Over 90 per cent of these are in Africa and Asia. More than 50 per cent of these deaths are under age 25, with children aged under five facing the greatest risk.

“Nigeria has the highest estimated number of drownings in Africa at 27,000 deaths per year. Whether it is little children slipping unnoticed into a pond, pool or well, passengers on vessels that capsize, or residents within proximity of water bodies (swimming pools, beaches, lakes and lagoons) or coastal communities struck by floods, the daily toll of this leading global killer continues to rise.

“Nigeria needs a national multisectoral drowning prevention strategy and action plan for increased public education and awareness on water safety that addresses bespoke local and regional community needs. The social and economic opportunities and benefits participating in aquatics have to offer are truly phenomenal and unmatched.

“From physical and mental wellbeing, sports, careers, transport and tourism, to all important water safety. Swimming is not just a sport. It is a gateway into the world of aquatics and most importantly, an essential life skill everyone should have. There is a consensus that water safety education (of which basic swimming is a part), is an important drowning prevention tool.”

The Director General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oseyin-Tolu, disclosed that Lagos state has what it takes to prevent drowning in Lagos waters, saying, the state has early warning mechanism, fully equipped LASEMA and Lagos State Waterways Authority LASWA, two command controls that monitor Lagos waterways.

Dr. Oseyin-Tolu said the state government was ready and willing to collaborate with the promoters of bridging aquatics to prevent drowning in Lagos waters. “There are rules that guide the use of ferries and boats in the state and if followed strictly, will prevent drowning, while the state has trained personnel to rescue victims in cases of mishaps.”