3,445 killed on Nigerian roads in nine months: what the FRSC figures show

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 3,445 people died in road traffic crashes across Nigeria between January and September 2026. Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed gave the figures at a press briefing in Abuja marking the 2026 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

The corps recorded 7,156 crashes in the period, which left 22,292 people injured. Spread over the 273 days, NNN works that out to roughly 13 deaths, 82 injuries and 26 crashes a day.

Mohammed named excessive speed and dangerous driving as major contributors. He said the FRSC uses its crash database to find high-risk corridors and place patrol, enforcement and rescue teams there.

The World Health Organization representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, said about 1.2 million people die in road crashes worldwide every year. He said road injuries are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29 and that more than 90 per cent of deaths happen in low and middle income countries.

The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 to 2030 aims to cut road deaths and injuries by at least 50 per cent by 2030. The African Road Safety Charter, Africa’s first legally binding road safety framework, took effect on 12 March 2026, and Nigeria was among the first countries to ratify it.