More than 100 people, primarily women and children, are missing after a wooden boat capsized Tuesday evening in the Niger River in northern Nigeria, local authorities reported Wednesday.
The vessel, carrying nearly 300 passengers returning from a religious festival, sank around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officials said the boat was filled to roughly three times its intended capacity.
“The boat was not supposed to carry more than 100 persons, but there were almost 300 people on it. And that was what resulted in the breakage of the boat,” said Salihu Garba, director of relief and rehabilitation at the state emergency services.
A frantic search and rescue operation has saved 150 people so far. Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for Niger state’s emergency services, told AFP that 16 bodies had been recovered — 14 women and two men.
Abdullahi Baba Arah, head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said, “The search and rescue operation is still ongoing to locate more survivors.”
This incident marks the fourth fatal boat accident in northern Nigeria since mid-2023. The region’s lack of adequate roads often leads to increased boat usage, with accidents frequently attributed to poorly maintained vessels or overcrowding.
Maritime safety experts have long called for stricter enforcement of passenger limits and improved maintenance standards for boats operating in Nigeria’s inland waterways.
“This tragedy underscores the urgent need for better regulation and safety measures,” said a local maritime safety advocate who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
