The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), in partnership with Interferry, has completed the third module of Africa’s first Ferry Safety Development and Mentoring Programme, further advancing efforts to improve safety standards and strengthen professional capacity in the inland waterways sector.
The third module, which focused on ferry safety, equipped 50 emerging ferry professionals with critical knowledge and practical skills in emergency preparedness, incident response and operational safety, reinforcing the programme’s goal of developing a highly skilled and safety conscious workforce for Africa’s growing ferry industry.
According to LASWA’s Corporate Communications Department, the month long training, held throughout July 2026, combined self paced virtual learning with intensive practical sessions designed to expose participants to both theoretical and real-life emergency response procedures.
The academic component was facilitated by Dr. Bolaji Dunsin and Dr. Ayaobu-Cookey of the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR). Participants also engaged in an interactive “Ask the Expert” session with Mr. Darren Johnston, Vice President, Marine Operations at BC Ferries, who shared global best practices on ferry safety and operational management.
The practical training, conducted on July 29, 2026, at the Prime Atlantic Safety Services Ltd. (PASS) training facility in Ogun State, provided participants with hands on experience in essential emergency response procedures.
Under the supervision of experienced PASS instructors, trainees carried out practical exercises on Abandon Ship procedures, including alarm recognition, mustering, headcount, the use of personal protective equipment, survival craft preparation and deployment. They also received practical training on Man Overboard response techniques, covering immediate emergency actions, bridge response, vessel manoeuvring, rescue deployment and first aid.
Commenting on the successful completion of the module, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy and General Manager of LASWA, Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, commended the PASS training team, led by Senior Training Instructor Mr. Gbenga Kuku, alongside five other instructors, for delivering world class practical instruction.
He also appreciated the Managing Director of PASS, Mrs. Folake Soyannwo, for providing access to the organisation’s state-of-the-art training facility, which enabled participants to gain practical experience in ferry emergency response.
Mr. Emmanuel further acknowledged Interferry for sponsoring the pioneering programme and expressed special appreciation to Mrs. Shari Corrigan, Director of Conferences and Finance at Interferry and Executive Sponsor of FerrySafe, for her continued commitment to improving ferry safety and mentoring the next generation of ferry professionals across Africa.
With the successful completion of the ferry safety module, the programme will now proceed to Module Four, Introduction to Engine Systems, scheduled to run throughout August 2026.
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