The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a slight decline in road traffic accidents in Nigeria for the first quarter of 2026.
According to its latest Road Transport Data Q1 2026 Report, released on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria recorded 2,720 road accidents, representing a 0.40 per cent decrease compared to 2,731 cases in the fourth quarter of 2025.
However, the report showed a year-on-year increase of 2.64 per cent when compared with 2,650 accidents recorded in the first quarter of 2025, indicating continued pressure on road safety management.
The data further revealed that serious crashes accounted for the highest share with 1,761 cases, followed by fatal incidents at 714 and minor cases at 245.
A total of 1,347 deaths were recorded within the period. Of this figure, 1,076 were males while 271 were females, highlighting a significantly higher fatality rate among men.
Injuries also followed a similar pattern, with 6,547 males and 2,028 females affected.
Vehicle involvement in crashes rose slightly to 4,078 in Q1 2026, compared to 4,059 in Q4 2025.
Commercial vehicles were the most affected category, accounting for 2,929 cases, followed by private vehicles with 1,089 and government vehicles with 40.
Regionally, the North-Central zone recorded the highest number of accidents at 752, followed by the South-West with 699 cases, while the South-South recorded the lowest at 137.
In terms of casualties, the North-West led with 2,675 cases, while the North-Central followed closely with 2,544. The South-South again recorded the lowest casualty figure at 402.
The report identified speed violations as the leading cause of crashes across all geopolitical zones, underscoring ongoing concerns about driver behaviour and enforcement gaps.
