An overloaded boat capsized in Sokoto State, in northwestern Nigeria, causing the death of about 40 children. This toll was confirmed by a local official of the National Inland Waterways Authority (Niwa), the Nigerian authority that manages inland waterways.
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“I can confirm that so far about 40 children’s bodies have been recovered,” Abdulkadir Yusuf, Niwa’s head in the area, told Reuters. The accident happened while passengers were trying to reach some rice fields to work on planting or harvesting. According to Sarkin Daji, a local chief quoted by the agency, the boat was overloaded.
Initial reconstructions by the Nigerian press place the shipwreck in Gorau, in the Goronyo area, Sokoto State. According to Daily Trust, cited by other local outlets, more than 70 people were traveling on the boat and most of the passengers were children and teenagers between 10 and 15 years old. Six people, including the village chief, were reportedly rescued.
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Similar accidents are frequent in Nigeria, especially in rural communities that depend on waterways for transportation. Among the recurring causes are, besides boat overloading, shortcomings in the enforcement of safety regulations and the use of inadequate vessels. During the rainy season, moreover, the rising levels of rivers and lakes make navigation even more dangerous.
Sokoto itself was the scene of another serious shipwreck in August 2025. In that case, a boat with about 50 people on board, heading to the Goronyo market, capsized. Twenty-five passengers were rescued, while another twenty-five were still missing two days after the accident and were presumed dead by emergency authorities.
