The Ghana Maritime Authority has announced plans to address the rising number of boat disasters across the country’s water bodies. This initiative follows a tragic accident on Volta Lake in the Krachi West Municipality, where at least 15 people—including 11 children—lost their lives.
Between 2021 and 2025, more than 40 lives have been lost in boat accidents on Volta Lake and other riverine areas nationwide. The Ghana Maritime Authority attributes about 90 percent of these incidents to human error, compounded by poor weather conditions and obstacles in the water.
Speaking on GHToday, Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, revealed that the Authority is working closely with traditional leaders in coastal communities to develop inland water regulations aimed at improving the management of commercial transport activities on the nation’s waterways.
“We are working on what we call the inland water regulations, which are going to be laid before Parliament. So these regulations will be deepened to provide for a certain level of minimum age, also to provide for some level of training, and ultimately for the commercial ones, some level of certification,” Dr. Ali explained.
Additionally, Dr. Ali disclosed that the Authority plans to recruit and train 300 safety guards by the end of the year. These safety personnel will enforce compliance with the new regulations to enhance safety on the water.
In a related development, Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is expected to visit the affected area to offer condolences to the families of the 15 victims who perished in the Volta Lake accident. In a statement, the Vice President expressed the government’s heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, the community, and all those impacted by the tragedy.
Story by: Elikplim Awuku
