The Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Kamal-Deen Ali, has described weak safety compliance on Ghana’s waterways as unacceptable, stressing that the consistent use of life jackets is critical to reducing fatalities from boat accidents.
Speaking on The Pulse on Thursday, April 10, Dr Kamal-Deen Ali said the Authority has intensified enforcement of safety regulations, particularly the mandatory wearing of life jackets on all vessels. However, he admitted that cultural attitudes in many coastal and inland communities continue to undermine compliance.
He explained that despite existing regulations, many passengers still ignore basic safety measures, a behaviour he said reflects a broader national challenge with safety culture.
“There is a core issue of safety that we have been working collectively on… generally, by safety regulation, everybody that is getting on the boat must wear a life jacket,” he said.
According to him, the problem extends beyond water transport to everyday practices, such as motorists failing to wear seat belts, even in urban areas like Accra.
“In Accra, if you went around, 80% of people didn’t wear seat belt. No police was there to ask them to wear it, but the police expect that you must wear it,” he noted, adding that enforcement alone cannot replace personal responsibility.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali stressed that it is impossible for maritime and naval officers to monitor every boat across the country’s extensive inland and coastal waters, making public education and voluntary compliance essential.
“There cannot be 20,000 Navy and Ghana Maritime Authority personnel policing over 20,000 boats… so you have to undertake enforcement, education, and insist that it is done,” he said.
His comments follow a fatal boat accident on Volta Lake on Wednesday, April 9, 2026, which has renewed concerns about safety standards on Ghana’s waterways.
The vessel, travelling from Yeji to Congo in the East Gonja District, capsized around 5:30 p.m. between Sikakope and Mataiko during a storm.
Seven people — two women and five children — have been confirmed dead, while five male passengers were rescued and taken for medical attention. Two others, a woman and a child, remain missing as search operations continue.
Preliminary findings indicate that severe weather conditions contributed to the accident, but authorities have also pointed to lapses in safety compliance, particularly the failure of passengers to wear life jackets.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), together with local divers and emergency teams, continues search and rescue efforts, while authorities provide support to affected families.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali added that new initiatives are being rolled out to strengthen enforcement and improve safety awareness on Ghana’s waterways as authorities work to prevent similar tragedies.
