Nigeria records 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population from road crashes – Report

…as FRSC, KRSD Foundation push for trauma centre for victims

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

Nigeria has been ranked among the countries with the highest road traffic deaths in Africa, with 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023.

The figure was highlighted at a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Foundation, where both organisations also announced plans to establish a trauma centre for families of crash victims.

The briefing also unveiled the upcoming International Road Crash Victims’ African Conference (IRCVAC) 2025, scheduled for November, coinciding with the KRSD Foundation’s 14th anniversary.

Founder of KRSD, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said the conference, themed “Gathering Africa and the World for Road Crash Victims”, will be the first African forum dedicated to road crash victims and their families.

Dongban-Mensem, who founded the organisation in 2011 after losing her son in a crash, said KRSD has become a leading voice for victims through campaigns, outreaches, and school-based road safety education.

She stressed that Nigeria’s road safety challenge has reached crisis level, citing FRSC data that speeding and loss of control cause more than half of road crashes nationwide.

According to her, the National Bureau of Statistics recorded 5,081 crashes in just three months of 2023, resulting in 2,466 deaths and over 15,000 injuries, while FRSC data for Q1 2024 reported 2,733 crashes, 1,624 deaths, and more than 8,000 injuries.

Quoting the WHO report, she said: “Nigeria has one of the highest road traffic death rates in Africa and the world, at 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population. This is not just a statistic—it means thousands of families are devastated every year. The figure is significantly higher than both the global and African averages.”

She added that the report underscores Nigeria’s need for a stronger national strategy targeting critical risk factors such as speeding, drunk driving, and non-use of seatbelts and helmets, aligning with FRSC’s findings.

“IRCVAC 2025 is not just an event but a platform for victims and their families,” she said. “It is about ensuring their experiences shape solutions and their voices drive advocacy, in line with the global Vision Zero and Safe Systems Approach, which declare that no road death is acceptable.”

FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, noted that road crashes cause about 1.2 million deaths globally every year, with women and children often suffering the worst consequences—both physically and emotionally.

He said the Corps is working with partners to establish a national trauma centre to provide medical and psychosocial support for victims and bereaved families.

Ahead of the November conference, organisers announced symbolic pre-events, including a cycling rally, walking exercise, and golf tournament, to raise awareness and promote safer mobility.

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