AT least 16 major boat accidents in Nigeria from September 2024 to October 2025 have killed nearly 500 people and left thousands missing, according to reports from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and news outlets.
The incidents, mostly involving overloaded passenger and trading boats, highlight ongoing safety failures on the country’s waterways, including the Niger River. Common causes include overloading, lack of life jackets, poor vessel maintenance and rough weather during the rainy season.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) reported over 500 waterway deaths in 2024 alone, with 2025 incidents following a similar trend.
Officials attribute the accidents to weak enforcement of safety rules and inadequate infrastructure in riverine areas.
Here is a breakdown of the documented incidents:
October 2, 2024, Niger State: An overloaded boat carrying 200–300 passengers, mostly women and children, capsized on the Niger River after a religious festival. Cause: Overcrowding and poor maintenance. Casualties: 60 dead; dozens rescued.
October 15, 2024, Niger State: A boat capsized during flood recovery operations. Cause: Overloading. Casualties: 70 dead.
October 29, 2024, Lagos State: A commuter boat in Lagos Lagoon overturned in poor weather. Cause: Overcrowding. Casualties: 21 dead.
November 29, 2024, Kogi-Niger border: A boat with 200 women traders to a food market capsized on the Niger River. Cause: Overloading; delayed rescue. Casualties: 27 dead; over 100 missing.
December 15, 2024, Benue State: A traders’ boat overturned on the Benue River near Ocholonya. Cause: Overcrowding and no life jackets. Casualties: 10 dead; search ongoing.
Late December 2024, Niger River: An overloaded boat with over 200 passengers capsized. Cause: Excess weight, vessel decay and night travel. Casualties: 54 dead.
Early March 2025, Anambra State: A small passenger boat collided with debris on a flooded river. Cause: Uncharted hazards. Casualties: 8 dead; 12 rescued.
July 26, 2025, Niger State: A market-bound boat with about 100 passengers capsized. Cause: Overloading. Casualties: 13 dead; dozens missing; 26 rescued.
August 17, 2025, Sokoto State: A 50-passenger boat to a market flipped on a river. Cause: Likely overloading. Casualties: No immediate deaths; over 40 missing; about 10 rescued.
September 2, 2025, Niger State (Borgu): An overloaded boat with over 100 passengers struck a tree stump on Kainji reservoir. Cause: Hidden obstacles from floods. Casualties: 29–60 dead; 50 rescued; 2 missing.
NEMA data shows 231 deaths from 11 incidents in 2024, with 2025 adding at least 60–109 confirmed fatalities so far, excluding missing persons.
Latest incident: Capsizing in Kogi State
The most recent accident occurred on September 30 in Kogi State’s Ibaji area on the Niger River. A boat carrying 80 traders—mostly women with goods—from Ibaji to Ilushi market in Edo State capsized.
Possible causes include a sudden swell, snag or overloading. As of October 2, NEMA reported 10–26 dead, 24 rescued, and 42 missing. Local officials described it as the worst in the area, with no passenger manifests available. Kogi Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo directed support for survivors, but community volunteers led recovery efforts.
Calls for government action
NIWA has launched campaigns like “No Life Jacket, No Travel” and banned unlicensed boats, but critics say enforcement is insufficient. In February 2025, a Special Committee on Prevention was formed, and NEMA distributed 42,000 life jackets this year.Advocates, including riverine community leaders, are urging President Bola Tinubu, NIWA and NEMA to impose stricter penalties, fund vessel upgrades, conduct regular patrols and develop alternative transport like roads.