Rescue workers are searching for more than 40 people after a boat accident in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State, the country’s emergency agency reported on Sunday. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) stated that the boat, which was transporting over 50 passengers to a market, capsized on Sunday morning.
“About 10 persons have been rescued, while more than 40 passengers remain missing,” NEMA added. Boat accidents are common on Nigeria’s poorly regulated waterways, often caused by overcrowding and a lack of proper maintenance, especially during the annual rainy season when rivers and lakes swell.
History of Similar Tragedies
This accident is one of several similar tragedies. In August 2024, at least 16 farmers died in a comparable incident in Sokoto state when their wooden canoe, heading to rice fields, capsized. On July 29, six girls drowned after a boat returning from farm work capsized in northwestern Jigawa State. Just two days earlier, at least 13 people died in another boat accident in central Niger State.
