Nigeria Records 9.4% Rise in Road Accidents in Q2 2025

Men Remain the Most Affected

The NBS report, based on data from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), shows that men continue to account for the vast majority of road accident victims.

A total of 1,018 males were killed in road crashes between April and June 2025 — representing 81.77% of all fatalities. In contrast, 217 females died during the same period, accounting for 18.23% of deaths.

Further gender analysis reveals that adult males made up 79.2% of total deaths (986 cases), while adult females accounted for 14.54% (181 cases). Male and female children represented 2.57% and 3.69% of deaths respectively, bringing total fatalities to 1,245 persons.

Injuries followed a similar pattern. Out of 8,520 injured persons, 6,629 were male (77.81%) and 1,891 female (22.19%). Adult males alone accounted for 74.07% (6,311 injuries), while adult females made up 19.54% (1,665 injuries).

Road safety experts say this reflects the disproportionate exposure of working-age men, particularly commercial drivers, to unsafe transport conditions and long hours on Nigeria’s highways.

Regional Trends: Southwest, North Central Lead in Crash Numbers

Regionally, the Southwest recorded the highest number of road crashes with 772 incidents, followed by the North Central with 699.

The South South zone had the lowest number of crashes (160), but the Northwest recorded the highest number of casualties — 2,597 persons — followed by the North Central with 2,327 casualties. The South South again had the fewest, with 442 casualties.

A total of 3,806 vehicles were involved nationwide in Q2 2025, a 2.28% decrease from the preceding quarter. Serious crashes accounted for 1,728 cases, while fatal cases totaled 636 and minor crashes numbered 267.

According to the FRSC, the pattern highlights the continued need for improved enforcement of traffic laws, driver retraining, and stricter vehicle maintenance checks.

Commercial Vehicles Responsible for Over 70% of Crashes

Commercial vehicles remain the major drivers of Nigeria’s road crash statistics, accounting for 70.6% of all incidents in Q2 2025.

The NBS data show that 2,687 commercial vehicles were involved in crashes during the quarter — a trend linked to fatigue, speeding, and overloading within the nation’s transport and logistics sector.

Private vehicles made up 27.8% (1,058 vehicles), while government-owned vehicles represented 1.58% (60 vehicles). Diplomatic vehicles recorded just one incident (0.03%).

Cars, Motorcycles, and Minibuses Dominate Crash Types

The report further indicates that cars (888) and motorcycles (748) were the most frequently involved vehicles, followed closely by minibuses (755) and trucks (596).

Other categories include trailers (253), pick-up vans (121), SUVs (106), and tankers (65). Less frequent crash types involved luxury buses (11), bicycles (17), tricycles (188), and 42 cases listed as others.

Despite a slight quarterly decline in total crashes, the marginal increase in the number of vehicles involved suggests a growing rate of multi-vehicle collisions, a trend experts attribute to speeding, poor road conditions, and lack of lane discipline.

The Broader Picture

Nigeria’s consistent rise in road accidents continues to draw concern from safety advocates. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the country accounts for nearly 2.5% of global road deaths, one of the highest in Africa.

Analysts argue that beyond enforcement, addressing road infrastructure decay, driver training, and public transport reform will be essential to curb the trend.

The NBS said it will continue to collaborate with the FRSC to improve the accuracy and coverage of transport data to inform national policy decisions.