1,347 Killed As Road Crashes Rise Nationwide In Q1

Nigeria recorded a grim rise in road accidents in the first quarter of 2026, with no fewer than 1,347 persons killed and thousands more injured in crashes across the country, latest data released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics has shown.

The report revealed that a total of 2,720 road traffic crashes occurred between January and March 2026, representing an increase of 2.64 per cent compared to the 2,650 crashes recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Although the figure reflected a marginal decline of 0.40 per cent from the 2,731 crashes reported in the last quarter of 2025, the human toll remained severe, underscoring persistent safety concerns on Nigerian roads.

According to the NBS data, serious crashes accounted for the largest share of accidents during the quarter, with 1,761 cases recorded nationwide.

Fatal crashes followed with 714 incidents, while minor crashes stood at 245 cases.

The report further showed that men accounted for the overwhelming majority of road deaths during the period under review.

Out of the 1,347 persons killed in crashes, 1,076 were males, representing 79.88 per cent of total fatalities, while 271 females accounted for 20.12 per cent.

Males dominated the number of injured victims.

The statistics indicated that 6,547 men sustained varying degrees of injuries, accounting for 76.35 per cent of the total injured persons, while 2,028 women were injured, representing 23.65 per cent.

Altogether, road crashes left 8,575 persons injured in the first three months of the year.

The report also pointed to a slight increase in the number of vehicles involved in crashes nationwide.

A total of 4,078 vehicles were involved in road accidents in Q1 2026, higher than the 4,059 vehicles recorded in the preceding quarter.

Geographical analysis of the crashes showed that North-Central zone emerged as the worst-hit region in terms of accident frequency.

The zone recorded 752 crashes, the highest nationwide, followed closely by the South-West with 699 cases.

The South-South recorded the least number of crashes with 137 cases.

However, in terms of casualties, the North-West topped the chart with 2,675 casualties, indicating the highest number of persons either killed or injured in road accidents during the quarter.
The North-Central followed with 2,544 casualties, while the South-South again recorded the lowest figure with 402 casualties.
The latest figures come amid growing concerns over reckless driving, poor road conditions, excessive speeding, overloading, and weak compliance with traffic regulations across the country.