At least 46 dead after boat capsizes in north-western Nigeria

A boat capsized near Gorau in Gorony, in Nigeria's north-western Sokoto state, while carrying more than 70 people, most of them children, officials say. Police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai told the BBC on Thursday that 46 bodies had been recovered. Sixteen people were rescued safely, while 15 remain missing. Rufai said the area is hard to reach and that security agencies and emergency responders are heading to the scene.

A witness told Reuters he believed the children on board were travelling with farm owners and labourers heading to work on a rice harvest. The witness said around 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloths, were laid in front of a community mosque ahead of burial.

Ezekiel Manzo, spokesperson for Nigeria's emergency management agency Nema, told the BBC that Gorau is a very remote location and that a response team has already been dispatched there.

A recurring problem

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, frequently blamed on overcrowding, poorly maintained vessels and weak enforcement of safety rules. Last month, at least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state. In January, at least 26 people died when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state capsized. In December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have carried more than 200 passengers capsized.

Authorities have recommended measures such as safer boats, life jackets, dredging of waterways, deploying guards at jetties and terminals, and properly training and licensing boat operators. However, many of these measures have not been fully implemented or enforced. For millions of Nigerians, especially in rural areas, rivers remain a vital means of transport, as poor roads and a shortage of bridges make travel by land difficult. Wooden boats are widely used to carry people and goods, including to markets and neighbouring communities.