It is a national disgrace that Nigeria ranks among the nations with the highest road traffic accident rates globally. According to the Nigerian Red Cross Society, 200,000 Nigerians die annually in road crashes—accounting for 10% of the global total of two million road traffic fatalities. Even more damning, experts estimate that these grim statistics may be underreported by as much as 500%. This is a staggering indictment of the government’s failure to prioritize the safety of its citizens on the nation’s perilous roads. The blood on Nigeria’s roads stains the hands of those in power. This carnage is not fate; it is failure, and negligence. A government that cannot protect its citizens from predictable tragedies is a government that has lost its legitimacy. Nigerians deserve better, and they demand it now.
Despite decades of rhetoric and half-hearted initiatives, Nigeria remains synonymous with hazardous highways, reckless driving, poorly maintained vehicles, and woeful enforcement of road safety laws. The collaborative Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign, launched by the Nigerian Red Cross in partnership with government agencies and private stakeholders, is a commendable effort. However, without robust governmental commitment and immediate action, this campaign risks becoming just another fruitless endeavor. Year after year, Nigerians bear witness to devastating road tragedies: the catastrophic petrol tanker explosion on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the tragic demise of multiple schoolchildren in the Bauchi Road crash, and countless other deadly incidents on the Abuja-Kaduna and Benin-Ore highways. These are not just statistics—they are shattered families, dreams cut short, and lives irreparably scarred. Yet the government responds with deafening silence and gross inaction.
It is unacceptable that in a country with countless road safety agencies—including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Ministry of Transport (MOT)—citizens still gamble with their lives every time they travel by road. Enforcement is weak, corruption rampant, and infrastructure criminally neglected. Routine checks on commercial vehicles are sporadic, penalties for traffic violations are often non-existent or bribable, and the infrastructure itself remains dilapidated, riddled with potholes that are death traps. Potholes litter major highways, unregulated vehicles spew toxic fumes, and reckless driving goes unchecked. What value does the government place on the lives of its citizens when preventable deaths are treated as routine occurrences?
Since 2023 when President Bola Tinubu came to power, Nigeria has witnessed several major road accidents resulting in significant fatalities. In October 2024, in Majia, Jigawa State, over 100 people perished when a fuel tanker overturned and exploded as locals attempted to collect the spilled fuel.
In September 2024, a similar incident in Niger State claimed approximately 60 lives under comparable circumstances. In January 2025, in Dikko, Niger State, a fuel truck explosion resulted in 86 deaths after individuals gathered to siphon fuel from an overturned vehicle. These tragedies underscore the persistent dangers on Nigerian roads and the critical need for enhanced safety measures.
The human toll is devastating. Families are shattered, breadwinners lost, and communities thrown into mourning—yet the government continues to treat this carnage with indifference. The indifference of those in power is not just irresponsible—it is complicit. If Nigerian leaders had to endure the same deathtraps as the ordinary citizen without sirens, escorts, or convoy privileges, perhaps they would finally comprehend the urgency for change and be compelled to act.
To add insult to injury, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the other day that major roads across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and key economic corridors would be tolled. It is just as well that the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticized the plan to introduce tolls on additional federal roads, describing the move as a “toxic policy” that will worsen the economic burden on Nigerians. It argued that the absence of alternative transport systems such as functional railways or affordable air travel makes road tolling unjustifiable. “This policy is pure wickedness,” HURIWA asserted, urging the Federal Government to suspend the tolling plan and focus on addressing corruption and mismanagement in the Ministry of Works to fund road maintenance.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA highlighted the economic challenges Nigerians have faced since President Bola Tinubu assumed office. These include the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023, which caused petrol prices to surge from N190 to over N1,000 per litre, and the inflationary pressures that followed. The group also criticized the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for approving a tariff hike from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour for Band A customers in April 2024, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for allowing a 50% hike in telecom charges. It added that soaring fuel prices and deteriorating roads have already doubled transportation costs across the country. “The government has failed to provide basic social infrastructure but continues to impose policies that punish the masses. Poor Nigerians, who depend heavily on road transport, will suffer the most from this tolling policy,” HURIWA said. The group called for policies that alleviate, rather than exacerbate, the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
Instead of imposing new tolls on federal roads that will increase the cost of road transportation, the federal government should among others, declare a national road safety emergency and mobilize resources to repair critical road infrastructure and enforce road safety laws strictly. The government should also empower the FRSC and law enforcement agencies to uphold traffic regulations without compromise or corruption. In addition, the government should promote public awareness by launching aggressive campaigns to educate drivers on safe driving practices. Most importantly, the government should engage transport unions, fleet owners, and civil society organizations to institutionalize responsible driving and vehicle maintenance.
Lives are at stake. A nation that cannot protect its citizens on something as basic as roads is a failed state. The Nigerian government must rise to its responsibilities and put an end to this unconscionable bloodshed. The time for complacency has long passed; action is not just urgent – it is overdue.
