Over 40 missing following boat mishap in northwestern Nigeria

More than 40 people have gone missing after a wooden boat capsized in a river in southwestern Nigeria on Sunday, August 17.

The country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the unnamed vessel was transporting more than 50 passengers along a river in Sokoto state when it capsized on Sunday morning (local time).

Only 10 of those who were on the boat have been safely rescued, according to a social media post by NEMA Director General Zubaidar Umar.

Authorities are continuing to scour the surrounding waters for any trace of the boat's other occupants.

NEMA has been collaborating with other partner agencies in the search for the missing people.

Sunday's incident occurred nearly a month after a vessel capsizing that left at least 25 people dead in Niger state south of Sokoto.

Nigeria has become known for its poor passenger vessel safety record, as shown by data collected by ferry safety advocate and Baird Maritime Co-Founder Dr Neil Baird over the last few years.

"Nigeria was [the] second worst [country in terms of fatal ferry accidents in 2024] with 423 fatalities from 13 incidents," Dr Baird wrote earlier this year. "The main factor that seems to be saving Nigerians from fates as bad as their Congolese brethren is that they tend to travel on smaller ferries."