Nigeria recorded 2,720 road traffic crashes in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest Road Transport Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The figure represents a marginal decline of 0.40 per cent compared to the 2,731 crashes recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025. However, it shows a 2.64 per cent increase when compared to the 2,650 crashes recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

The report, which relied on data provided by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), showed that serious crashes accounted for the highest number of incidents during the period under review, with 1,761 cases. Fatal crashes stood at 714, while minor crashes were the least recorded with 245 cases.

Analysis of fatalities revealed that men accounted for the majority of deaths arising from road crashes in the quarter. A total of 1,076 male deaths were recorded, representing 79.88 per cent of total fatalities, while 271 females lost their lives, accounting for 20.12 per cent.

Similarly, the report showed that 6,547 males sustained injuries in road crashes during the quarter, representing 76.35 per cent of injured persons, while 2,028 females were injured, accounting for 23.65 per cent.

The number of vehicles involved in crashes rose slightly to 4,078 in Q1 2026, compared to 4,059 vehicles recorded in Q4 2025.
A zonal breakdown of the data showed that the North-Central region recorded the highest number of road crashes with 752 cases, followed by the South-West with 699 cases. The South-South zone recorded the least number of crashes with 137 cases.

In terms of casualties, the North-West recorded the highest number with 2,675 casualties, followed by the North-Central with 2,544 casualties, while the South-South had the least with 402 casualties.