Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources, including waterways stretching across 28 states and covering about 10,000 kilometres. According to statistics from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), about 3,800 kilometers of the nation’s waterways are navigable seasonally for transportation of bulk cargoes and passengers.

Despite the limitless endowment water promises, Nigeria has continued to record deaths on its waterways due to a lack of effective regulation and enforcement of existing guidelines.

Data from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB (formerly Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB), revealed that more than two-thirds of all boat fatalities are drowning incidents and 90% of these victims did not wear Personal Floatation Devices (PFD), commonly known as Life Jackets.

Mostly populated by the locals with little or no requisite expertise on how to adhere to standards and recommended practices while operating boats, the Nigerian water transportation system has continued to suffer setbacks, with recurring tragedies including deaths from overloaded or poorly-maintained boats, lack of strict adherence to safety guidelines and sometimes inexperience of boat operators.

Water accidents arising from boat accidents have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years, especially in northern Nigeria where canoes are still being used as a means of transportations in some parts of the region.

In Sokoto, the incident has become a recurring decimal, with eight reported boat accidents recorded in the last five years.

August 2020

Nine people were feared dead after a boat on which they were travelling capsized at Birjingo in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State in August 2020.

Majority of the victims were women and children, including a bride-to-be and her mother. The boat had over 30 passengers on board when the accident occurred.

The passengers were said to be on their way to a rice farm across the river where they worked as labourers.

While confirming the incident, the councillor representing Birjingo ward, Isa Muhammad, said the accident occurred around 8 am on Wednesday, 5th August, 2020.

The village head of Birjingo, Alhaji Shehu Dangaladima, said the boat capsized because it was overloaded.

The Sole Administrator of Goronyo Local Government Area, Zakari Muhammad Shinaka, said, “Immediately we heard about the accident, we engaged over 50 local divers who succeeded in rescuing some of the victims alive.”

Condoling with the bereaved families, however, Shinaka directed Sarakunan Ruwa (traditional river chiefs) in the area to impound any overloaded boat crossing their rivers.

“Don’t allow any boat that is overloaded to cross your river and when there is a wind storm, the boat should not be allowed to move,” he directed.

June 2021

In 2021, 13 people, including women and children, were reported dead following a boat accident in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

The victims were said to be travelling from Doruwa to Ginga around evening time when the boat capsized and killed all the passengers.

The chairman of the local government, Aliyu Dantine Shagari, who confirmed the incident, said eight of the victims were married women while the remaining five were children and elderly men.

He attributed the accident to overloading, noting that all the bodies of the victims had been recovered and buried in line with Islamic rites.

April 2022

Twenty-nine persons, including a bride-to-be, reportedly died after a boat capsized on April 13, 2022, in Shagari River at Gidan Magana in Shagari LGA of Sokoto State.

The victims, mostly children between 9 and 17 years old, were crossing the river to a nearby bush to fetch firewood which they sold in their community, when the incident occurred.

Findings revealed that there were 35 of them in the boat when it capsized.

The village head of Gidan Magana, Malam Muhammadu Auwal, who lost five of his children in the mishap, said the deceased were 23 females and six males.

He, however, said six of the passengers were rescued alive.

“I lost five of my children and two younger sisters of my wives. I also lost my niece whose wedding was fixed for one week after Sallah.

“This is the greatest tragedy that has ever happened in our community. We pray Allah to grant their souls eternal rest and give us the fortitude to bear the loss,” Auwal added.

The District Head of the community, Alhaji Abubakar, said, “According to the information I gathered, all the passengers on board including the driver were 31, while the driver ran away after the accident. We were able to rescue only one girl alive while the corpses of the remaining 29 people had been buried in accordance with the Islamic rites.”

May 2023

At least 15 girls reportedly died in a boat accident at Dandeji village in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State in May 2023.

The girls were said to be on their way to a nearby bush to fetch firewood when their boat capsized on a Tuesday morning.

According to eyewitness accounts, over 40 girls were on board when the incident happened.

A resident of the area, Muhammad Ibrahim, said 15 corpses had already been recovered and local divers were still searching for the other victims.

August 2024

In August 2024, four persons were reported dead in a boat accident at Dundaye community in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The canoe was reportedly ferrying farmers, including three women and four children, to their farms in Gangar Fadama when it capsized.

Confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto, the Head, Sokoto Field Operation Office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Aliyu Kafindangi, explained that a combined rescue team from NEMA, Nigerian Red Cross, Fire Services and the State Emergency Management Agency and local divers recovered the dead bodies.

“Based on investigation, 24 persons were involved in the incident but 19 of them have been rescued.

“One dead body was recovered on Sunday and yesterday we recovered additional three, bringing the number of deaths to four. One person is still missing but search and rescue is still ongoing,” he said.

December 2024

A 60-year-old man reportedly died in a boat accident in Tangwale community, Dundaye District, Sokoto State, on Saturday, December 21, 2024.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Nasiru Garba Kalambaina, said that 35 passengers were onboard when the boat capsized.

“But 34 were successfully rescued alive by the local divers. One of the passengers, a 60- year-old man from Tangwale village, lost his life and his body was later recovered and buried in accordance with the Islamic rites,” he said.

June 2025

Seven persons were killed in a canoe accident that occurred while the victims were travelling from Gidan Husaini to Gwargawu village in Kambama Ward in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Monday, June 2, 2025, marking yet another fatal incident in the state’s ongoing struggle with waterway safety.

The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reported that the accident occurred near Rinaye village in Shagari Local Government Area, when a canoe carrying nine passengers overturned while crossing a river.

An assessment carried out on Tuesday, June 3, by officials from SEMA and NEMA, confirmed the fatalities.

The victims included two children aged three and seven, three married women, and two adults aged between 35 and 40 years.

Leading a delegation on a condolence visit on behalf of the Sokoto State Government, the Commissioner for Finance, Muhammadu Jabbi Shagari, described the incident as not only heartbreaking for the people of Shagari but also a monumental loss for the entire state and the wider Muslim ummah.

He warned canoe and boat operators against overloading their vessels. “Safety must always come first. No journey is worth a life lost due to negligence or preventable risks,” he stressed.

August 2025

Many traders, including women, were feared dead following a tragic boat accident that occurred on Sunday, August 17, 2025, in Kojiyo village, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The victims were reportedly on their way to the weekly Goronyo market when their boat, carrying both passengers and goods, capsized around 1.30pm.

Eyewitnesses said the boat was overloaded and also transporting motorcycles alongside the traders.

According to local sources, the traders hailed from communities in both Goronyo and neighbouring Gada local government areas of the state.

As of Monday afternoon, 26 persons had been rescued alive while 25 were still missing as search and rescue operation continued.

The Head of NEMA’s Sokoto Operations Office, Mr. Aliyu Shehu, disclosed that the ill-fated boat was carrying 51 passengers along with goods and motorcycles when it capsized.

“The rescue operation is ongoing. We have also alerted neighbouring communities to assist in the search for more victims,” Shehu stated.

Sokoto govt response

In response to the recurring disaster, the Sokoto State Government in 2024 procured motorised boats, life jackets and relief materials valued at N1.1 billion for 22 flood-prone local government areas.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Dade Adare, said the distribution was based on a committee’s report identifying flood-affected LGAs—excluding only Dange-Shuni.

He noted that the procurement aimed to mitigate the impact of future water-related accidents and improve safety across the state’s waterways.

Despite these efforts, the frequency of boat accidents underscores the urgent need for the enforcement of sustainable safety practices and increased public awareness in Sokoto’s riverine communities.

In August 2024, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State announced the donation of N30 million to support victims of a boat accident that occurred in August, resulting in the death of five people when the boat, carrying 35 passengers, capsized.

During a condolence visit, Governor Aliyu expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the deceased, pledging to provide motorised boats and life jackets to riverine communities to enhance safety.

The governor urged community members to exercise caution and avoid reckless behaviour while onboard the boats.

He noted, “I was informed that reckless activities by some passengers contributed to the accident. Our river is a valuable resource, supporting irrigation and other activities, but we must prioritise safety.”

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) provided a breakdown of the assistance, noting that each family of the deceased would receive N5 million, while survivors would receive N500,000 each.

A disturbing national trend

According to the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), 350 persons died through water navigation in the country in 2020 alone in several incidents in Sokoto, Anambra, Cross River, Bauchi, Lagos, Benue, Niger, among others.

Chairman HYPPADEC Governing Council, Hon. Joseph Terfa Ityav, blamed most of the incidents on poor condition of boats, overloading, lack of life jackets and tree logs.

An investigation by Daily Trust revealed that no fewer than 281 people were killed in 2021 as a result of boat mishaps recorded in Sokoto, Bayelsa, Lagos, Kano, Niger, Taraba, Ondo, and Kebbi, among others.

The Kebbi incident which occurred in Warrah Village, Tsihuwan Labata, Ngaski LGA was the deadliest with 156 people dead.

The year 2022 was also the deadliest, with no fewer than 313 people killed, while 216 people lost their lives in the first nine months of the year 2023, according a report compiled by Daily Trust.

An investigation by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, found that over 300 lives were lost on the Nigerian waterways in 2023.

In 2024, about 326 persons died from boat mishaps, with Niger and Kwara states having the highest number of casualties of 92 and 90, respectively, according to a count by TheCable.

In July 2025, nine people died from boat accident in Taura Local Government Area (LGA) of Jigawa state and 25 others, including a family of 10, have lost their lives in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State. (Daily Trust)