The disturbing video of market women crammed into a fishing canoe to cross the Volta River isn’t just a maritime safety failure—it’s a symptom of a systemic crisis. The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) was quick to condemn the practice as “reckless and dangerous,” and rightly so. But condemnation without action is just noise. This incident follows the tragic canoe accident in the Oti Region that claimed 16 lives, a stark reminder that Ghana’s inland waterways are ticking time bombs.
From Yeji to Dzemeni, from Kete-Krachi to Anyanui, communities are trapped in a cycle of risk. Schoolchildren, market women, and elders are forced into unregulated, unsafe vessels daily. These aren’t just transport failures; they’re breaches of dignity, safety, and national responsibility. The GMA has made it clear: fishing canoes are licensed for fishing, not passenger transport. All water transport must meet certified safety standards, including mandatory life jackets, licensed operators, and regular inspections. Yet, enforcement remains weak, and communities are left with no choice but to gamble with their lives.
We must move beyond reactive statements. Ghana needs a comprehensive inland water transport safety framework that includes community-based solutions, stakeholder engagement, education, infrastructure, and enforcement. Let’s establish local boat cooperatives to own and manage certified passenger boats, creating jobs while ensuring safety. We can invite faith-based groups, private companies, and development partners to donate or lease safe, covered boats for schoolchildren, market women, and the elderly. These boats should be named ceremonially, honoring ancestors and civic virtues.
Waterway safety education campaigns must be launched using radio, community theatre, and symbolic scrolls. We must promote the “No Life Jacket, No Boarding” principle. Floating docks, waiting shelters, and emergency response posts should be constructed at key landing sites, equipped with first aid kits, communication devices, and trained marshals. Enforcement of penalties for illegal passenger transport must be paired with incentives like fuel subsidies or tax waivers for certified operators.
This is a national invitation. District Assemblies and Traditional Councils should co-host ceremonial launches of safe boat initiatives. Corporate Ghana and international partners should sponsor boats, life jackets, and training. The Ministry of Transport and GMA must decentralize licensing and inspection services. Let us not wait for another tragedy. Let us rise with unity, wisdom, and resolve. Let us ferry our people not in canoes of risk, but in vessels of dignity.
In the spirit of national restoration and civic dignity, we call upon President John Dramani Mahama to take bold steps to transform inland water transport across the Volta Lake and its tributaries. We propose contracting NaValt, a company known for its electric and solar-powered ferries, to establish a Ghanaian Electric Vessel Initiative (GEVI). This public–private partnership would design, build, and operate safe, climate-resilient, and community-serving boats for our market women, schoolchildren, and elders.
NaValt offers zero-emission vessels suitable for Ghana’s ecological goals, modular boat designs adaptable for local production, and training and technology transfer to empower Ghanaian youth and engineers. We invite the President to commission a feasibility study for electric ferry deployment, establish a Presidential Taskforce on Safe Water Transport, and launch a pilot fleet of electric boats in Anyanui, Dzemeni, and Yeji. Incentives should be provided to local boatyards to adopt electric vessel technology through grants and tax relief.
This initiative is not merely about transport—it is about restoring dignity, protecting lives, and anchoring Ghana’s ecological and civic legacy. Let our rivers no longer be corridors of risk, but pathways of renewal. We stand ready to support this vision with ceremonial messaging, coalition mobilization, and symbolic design. Let the Volta Lake become a beacon of safe passage, unity, and innovation.