On the night of May 31, 2025, a bus carrying Kano State athletes returning from the National Sports Festival in Ogun State plunged off a bridge near Gadar Yankifi.
The delegation, made up of young competitors, coaches, and officials, was making its way home after proudly representing their state on the national stage.
By morning, the celebration had turned to mourning. At least 22 lives were lost in the crash, many of them teenagers and young adults with promising dreams and futures.
Among the deceased were sprinters, footballers, and state officials. The nation was once again gripped by a familiar horror, youths perishing in transit while in service to their country.
“This is a devastating loss,” Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said in a statement. “We mourn not only our sons and daughters but the dreams they carried.”
President Bola Tinubu also expressed sorrow, describing the crash as “a national tragedy” and a painful reminder of the need for better safety protocols. But this is not the first time
How our roads eat promising dreams
Over the years, similar tragedies have occurred across Nigeria. From athletes and students to corps members and footballers, many have died not on the field or in the classroom, but on the road.
In 2022, tragedy struck again when a group of schoolchildren from Sokoto drowned in River Kaduna during an excursion.
The students had boarded a leaking canoe without life jackets. None survived.
In 2016, five members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) died in a ghastly auto crash in Taraba State while travelling for service.
One of them, 23-year-old Amaka Ogbonna, had just graduated with distinction and was her family’s first graduate.
Earlier, in 2012, members of a Kwara State amateur football team were killed in a lorry crash while travelling to a local tournament in Oyo. The team was said to be using a faulty vehicle due to a lack of funding.
There are many more cases like these, scattered across Nigeria’s dusty roads and buried in news archives.
Why does this keep happening?
Experts point to a recurring mix of systemic failures.
Bad roads: Nigeria’s highways are notoriously dangerous, with potholes, poor signage, and unsafe bridges.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, over 4,000 people died in road accidents in 2024 alone, many due to infrastructure issues.
Driver fatigue: In the Kano crash, initial reports suggest the driver may have been exhausted after a long overnight journey.
Many transport arrangements for state teams rely on tight schedules and overworked drivers.
Poor logistics and oversight: Athletes and students are often transported in outdated or poorly maintained vehicles.
Funding constraints and lack of priority from state officials have led to dangerous shortcuts in planning.
Emergency response failures: Even when crashes occur, the chances of survival are slim due to poor emergency care and delayed medical attention.
Lost futures
Among the deceased in the Kano crash was 19-year-old Ibrahim Haruna, a sprinter who had just won silver at the Games.
His coach, Musa Abubakar, who also died in the crash, had trained state athletes for over a decade.
“They gave their all for the state,” said a teammate who survived. “We just wanted to get home safely.”
The grief extends beyond the families. Communities mourn young leaders, breadwinners, and future stars who never got the chance to fulfil their potential.
What has been done?
In the aftermath of each tragedy, there are always promises. Investigations are launched, condolence and compensations are made, and calls for reform echo through the media.
Yet little changes.
The Ministry of Sports has no official travel safety policy for state athletes. The NYSC, which regularly faces travel-related fatalities, only introduced a vague “no-night-travel” advisory after public outcry in 2023.
“We cannot continue like this,” said Dr. Kemi Oladele, a transport safety expert. “It’s not just about bad roads. It’s about priorities. Are we valuing these lives?”
A Call to Action
To prevent more tragedies, experts like Dr Oladele have called for:
Mandatory use of certified, roadworthy vehicles for all official travel
Daytime-only travel for athletes and students
Professional drivers with rest schedules and accident insurance
Proper funding for transport and accommodation
Emergency response units on major highways
“There must be accountability,” said Oladele. “State governments must ensure their contingents travel safely. The federal government must treat every preventable death as a national failure.”
Conclusion: Whose responsibility?
Every time a tragedy like this occurs, Nigeria is forced to confront the same question: Who is responsible? Why are lessons not learned? How many more lives will be lost before change finally arrives?
For families like that of Ibrahim Haruna, the answer is too late. The nation mourns again, but mourning is not enough and compensations are insulting.
Until there is a fundamental shift in how Nigeria prioritizes safety for its youth, the road home will continue to be one of the most dangerous journeys they ever make.