One of the world’s poorest countries, the West African nation of Niger suffers badly from poor road safety, impacting heavily on its struggling economy. According to official data from Niger's Ministry of Transport, there were 1,158 road deaths in the country during 2021. There were also 4,011 people seriously injured in crashes, as well as 8,071 minor injuries. Meanwhile, 7,543 crashes were reported.
The crashes have a heavy economic as well as human toll, which Niger can ill afford. Data suggests that road crashes cost Niger’s economy an estimated US$373.65 million/year. Poor vehicle condition, overloading and dangerous driving are amongst the causes of crashes in the country.
According to data from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Niger has the seventh highest rate of road crashes in Africa. Neighbouring Nigeria as well as South Africa and Libya are amongst the African nations that also suffer poor road safety. WHO data points out that 93% of the world’s 1.3 million/year road deaths are in low-middle income nations.
