At least 25 people are feared dead, after a boat carrying traders and goods capsized in Gunu village, in Shiroro local government area of Niger State on Saturday, in yet another tragic incident highlighting the dangers of inland water travel in Nigeria.
According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, (NSEMA), the boat was en route to Kwata, Zumba Market, when it capsized around 11:45 a.m. NSEMA’s Director of Information and Special Duties, Ibrahim Hussaini, said the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed as search and rescue operations continue.
However, media reports estimate that no fewer than 25 people, including a family of ten, may have drowned.
Hussaini confirmed that the boat operator and a few passengers were rescued, with one survivor receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Kuta. The rescue efforts was led by NSEMA officers, working alongside local divers and volunteers.
The tragedy comes just days after the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) launched a safety campaign tagged “No life jacket, no boarding” aimed at curbing recurring boat mishaps in riverine communities. Notably, none of the passengers in Saturday’s accident were reportedly wearing life jackets.
Nigeria has a troubling history of fatal boat accidents. In April, 37 people died in a similar incident on the River Niger. In November 2024, at least 27 people lost their lives when an overloaded boat carrying about 200 passengers from Kogi to a food market in Niger State capsized. Many passengers remain missing. Just a month earlier, another boat mishap claimed dozens of lives in north-central Nigeria.
Earlier this month, NSEMA reported that over 500 lives were lost to various emergencies, including boat accidents, between September 2024 and May 2025 in Niger State alone.
The latest disaster has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and increased public awareness to prevent further loss of life on Nigeria’s waterways.
