A river ferry capsized in north-central Nigeria over the weekend, killing at least 13 people, including children, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The boat, carrying 39 passengers, overturned Saturday along a river in Niger State while en route to a local market.
Emergency services spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini said 13 bodies were recovered, while 26 passengers were successfully rescued.
The vessel was reportedly overloaded with grains and farm animals, according to Red Cross official Abubakar Idris.
This latest disaster adds to a grim pattern of boat accidents across Nigeria, fuelled by poor safety standards, overcrowding, and seasonal flooding.
In November, 27 people died in a boat mishap on the Niger River, with many still unaccounted for.
A month earlier, dozens drowned when a boat transporting 300 people to a religious festival in Niger State capsized.
In September, more than 40 farmers died after an overloaded boat sank in the Gummi River in Zamfara State.
Nigeria’s deadliest recent ferry tragedy occurred in June 2023, when over 100 people died after a boat with 250 passengers sank in Kwara State.
Despite frequent warnings, waterway travel remains perilous for many rural Nigerians who depend on boats for trade and daily life.
Calls for stricter regulation and improved safety measures have grown, yet enforcement remains patchy and under-resourced.
As communities mourn yet another preventable tragedy, pressure mounts on authorities to address the deadly failures plaguing Nigeria’s waterways.
