In the third quarter of 2023 (Q3 2023), Nigeria recorded a distressing total of 2,187 road accidents, as reported by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and corroborated by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its latest NBS Road Transport Data for Q4 2023.
The NBS report comprehensively detailed the occurrences of road accidents across all 36 states in the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as well as delved into the root causes of these incidents, categorised them, and outlined the consequent impact on victims, including injuries and fatalities.
This article aims to spotlight the top 10 states most afflicted by road accidents during the period spanning from July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, based on the NBS findings.
Recommended reading: Lagos state records 1,461 emergency incidents in 2023-LASEMA
By focusing on these areas, the article seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the prevalent issues leading to such high accident rates.
Here are the states with the most road accidents in Q3 2023 according to NBS:
10/9. Lagos and Kwara (110 road accidents)
In Q3 2023, Lagos State and Kwara State each recorded 110 road accidents, making them the tenth-highest states with the most accidents in Nigeria during the period.
In Lagos, speed violations were the most common cause, leading to 56 accidents, followed by mechanical failures (12 cases) and route violations (10 cases). Additional causes included tyre bursts, brake failures, and improper overtaking.
According to the NBS, these accidents in Lagos State comprised 18 fatal, 64 serious, and 24 minor accidents, resulting in 164 injuries and 34 deaths.
On the other hand, in Kwara, the main causes were signal light, speed violations, and wrongful overtaking, along with tyre bursts, mechanical and brake failures, dangerous overtaking, and route violations.
These accidents that occurred in Kwara comprised 23 fatal cases, 43 serious, and 7 minor cases, with 222 injuries and 51 deaths.
Kogi (112 road accidents)
During Q3 2023, Kogi State was the eighth most affected by road accidents in Nigeria with a tally of 112 incidents. Signal light violations led the causes with 40 cases, followed by speed violations at 21, and tyre bursts at 13.
Out of these, 27 accidents were fatal, 58 were classified as serious, and 11 were minor, cumulatively resulting in 355 injuries and 52 deaths.
Kaduna (115 road accidents)
In Q3 2023, Kaduna State, with 115 road accidents, ranked seventh in Nigeria. The predominant cause was speed violations with 71 cases.
Other causative factors include tyre bursts, mechanical issues, overloading, and various types of overtaking and driving violations. The incidents included 42 fatalities, 71 serious, and 4 minor accidents, resulting in 481 injuries and 82 deaths.
Jigawa (120 road accidents)
In Q3 2023, Jigawa State ranked sixth with 120 road accidents, including 12 fatal and 52 serious incidents, resulting in 217 injuries and 21 deaths.
Niger (138 road accidents)
Niger State was fifth in Q3 2023 for road accidents with 138 incidents, mainly due to speeding with 98 cases.
The accidents comprised 27 fatal, 69 serious, and 5 minor, resulting in 382 injuries and 45 fatalities.
Oyo (160 road accidents)
In Q3 2023, Oyo State recorded 160 road accidents, ranking fourth, with speeding being the leading cause in 106 cases.
There were 36 fatal, 74 serious, and 8 minor accidents, causing 332 injuries and 45 deaths.
Nasarawa (220 road accidents)
Nasarawa State ranked third in Nigeria with 220 road accidents in Q3 2023, primarily caused by speeding, accounting for 113 incidents.
There were 23 fatal, 128 serious, and 11 minor accidents, resulting in 411 injuries and 37 deaths.
Ogun (396 road accidents)
Ogun State ranked second among states for the highest number of road accidents in Q3 2023, recording 396 incidents. Speeding was the primary cause, accounting for 262 accidents.
There were 51 fatal, 133 serious, and 28 minor accidents, resulting in 584 injuries and 82 deaths.
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (511 road accidents)
In the third quarter of 2023, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, led with 511 road accidents, the highest number recorded.
Speeding, traffic signals, and route violations were the main causes. The accidents included 63 fatal, 216 serious, and 70 minor incidents, resulting in 607 injuries and 82 deaths.
Recommended reading: FRSC records 23.1% reduction in crashes in 9 months nationwide
