By Samuel Harmon
Nigeria is grappling with a worsening road safety crisis as the number of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents continues to rise at an alarming rate. Recent statistics from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and a series of harrowing incidents across the country paint a grim picture of conditions on the nation’s highways.
Between January and March 2025 alone, the FRSC reported 2,650 crashes, resulting in 1,593 fatalities and 9,298 injuries. These figures represent an 8.3% increase in deaths and a 7.4% rise in injuries compared to the same period in 2024. Particularly troubling is the Jos–Lafia–Makurdi corridor, which recorded 1,539 deaths in just three months, underscoring the dangerous conditions on certain routes.
Daily reports of tragic incidents have become all too common. On January 11, 19 people were killed and 11 injured in a bus crash in Plateau State. Later that month, 18 lives were lost in Ilorin, Kwara State when a trailer collided with a commercial vehicle. In February, two separate crashes, one in Ondo and another in Kano killed 30 and 23 people respectively. Many of these accidents involved overloaded vehicles, trailers veering out of control, or head-on collisions caused by reckless driving.
Preliminary accounts from the second quarter of the year suggest the crisis is far from easing. On June 1, 22 young athletes lost their lives when a bus veered off Chiromawa Bridge along the Kano–Zaria Expressway. Less than a week later, nine more people died in Jigawa State in a head-on collision involving two vehicles.
The first weekend of July proved especially deadly, with 39 people killed in three separate crashes in Kano, Lagos, and Ogun States. Investigations attributed these tragedies to human error—wrong-way driving, over-speeding, and dangerous overtaking.
“These are not isolated events; they are part of a broader pattern of negligence, poor road management, and weak enforcement,” said Mr. Patrick Adenusi, Technical Director of Safety Beyond Borders, a non-governmental road safety group. In a phone interview, he cited overloading, use of intoxicants, and fatigue as key contributors to the rising accident rate. “Many tanker and trailer drivers operate without regard to safety standards, and they’re often pushed by unrealistic delivery timelines,” he added.
He also highlighted the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s roads, many of which are riddled with potholes, lack proper signage, or are avoided due to insecurity. “Drivers either take risky detours or speed through poor roads to make up for delays. The result is often fatal.”
While the FRSC has previously maintained daily highway patrols to detect speeding, drunk driving, and other violations, many observers say enforcement has become inconsistent. With the rainy season underway, road conditions are expected to worsen, prompting experts to call for urgent intervention.
Suggestions include stricter enforcement of speed limits, mandatory rest periods for long-distance drivers, road repairs, and public awareness campaigns about safe driving practices. Safety advocates also stress the importance of investing in mass transit systems to reduce the reliance on unsafe commercial vehicles.
“Traffic crashes are now one of the leading causes of death in Nigeria. This is no longer just about enforcement; it’s about preserving lives,” Adenusi said.
As the FRSC prepares to release its second quarter report in the coming weeks, many Nigerians fear that unless urgent steps are taken, the death toll will only rise further in the months ahead.
