July 10, (THEWILL) — The frequency and severity of fatal road crashes across Nigeria have surged significantly in 2025, raising alarm over the state of road safety nationwide.
Data retrieved by THEWILL reveals that the first quarter of 2025 witnessed a sharp rise in road traffic fatalities, with many Nigerians waking up daily to reports of deadly crashes involving container-laden trucks, fuel tankers, and overloaded vehicles.
Between January and March 2025 alone, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded 2,650 road crashes, resulting in 1,593 deaths and 9,298 injuries.
This marks an 8.3% increase in fatalities and a 7.4% rise in injuries compared to the same period in 2024.
One of the deadliest corridors identified was the Jos–Lafia–Makurdi route, where 1,539 lives were reportedly lost in just three months—a chilling statistic that underscores the dangers of certain highways.
Several tragic incidents in Q1 paint a grim picture. On January 11, a bus crash in Plateau State left 19 dead and 11 injured. On January 22 in Ilorin, Kwara State, a trailer-truck collision claimed 18 lives.
On February 1, a collision between two buses on the Ore–Lagos road resulted in 30 fatalities, and on February 14 in Kano, a trailer smashed into a goods vehicle, killing 23 and injuring 48.
Although full statistics for Q2 (April–June) are yet to be released, early signs point to continued carnage. On April 19, five people—including a child—were killed in a crash on Ife–Ilesa Road, Osun State.
On May 5, a tyre burst along the Abuja–Lokoja highway caused a Peugeot bus to plunge into a ditch, killing one and injuring six.
On June 1, tragedy struck on the Kano–Zaria Expressway when a bus veered off Chiromawa Bridge, killing 22 young athletes. Less than a week later, on June 7, a head-on collision in Kyaramma, Jigawa State, claimed nine lives.
The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway also witnessed a deadly crash in the Soka area, involving multiple trucks and taxis.
Even more troubling, within just 48 hours between July 5 and 6, at least 39 lives were lost in three separate crashes across Kano, Lagos, and Ogun states. In one instance, 21 people died on the Zaria–Kano highway after a Toyota Hummer bus, driving against traffic, collided with a trailer.
On the Ijebu Ode–Obada Expressway in Ogun, 10 lives were lost due to wrongful overtaking. Meanwhile, overspeeding claimed eight lives on the Mile 2–Badagry Expressway in Lagos.
All three incidents were attributed to human error—wrong-way driving, reckless overtaking, and speeding—core issues the FRSC was established to curb.
Experts say the deteriorating road infrastructure and insecurity across the country are further complicating the situation. Mr. Patrick Adenusi, Technical Director of Safety Beyond Borders, a road safety NGO, identified overloading by tanker drivers, drug and alcohol use, and failure to follow loading standards by oil marketers as key factors.
He also cited driver fatigue and the absence of road signage as significant contributors.
Many highways are in deplorable condition, forcing drivers to take dangerous detours or speed through pothole-ridden stretches to avoid bandit-prone areas, often with tragic consequences.
With the second-quarter statistics expected by late July or early August, road safety advocates are already warning of a potential surge in fatalities during the rainy season, when poor visibility and water-damaged roads increase the risk of crashes.
They are calling for urgent measures, including stricter enforcement of traffic laws, grassroots awareness campaigns, mandatory refresher training for commercial drivers, and the immediate rehabilitation of dilapidated roads.
As the death toll continues to rise, experts warn that road crashes in Nigeria have moved beyond a transportation issue—they now represent a full-blown national emergency requiring swift and coordinated action.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
