Fatal Bus Accident in Nigeria Claims Life of YWAM Staff Member

Tragic Accident in Nigeria Highlights Road Safety Concerns Across Africa

A devastating road accident near Badagry, a coastal town in Nigeria, has brought attention once again to the severe road safety issues plaguing the continent. The accident, which occurred on November 2, 2024, resulted in the death of one individual and left several others severely injured.

The incident involved a bus carrying 15 members from Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a well-known mission organization. The bus was returning from a regional event in Benin when it was caught in a multi-vehicle collision. Tragically, Jean Serge Mienahou from YWAM Congo Brazzaville lost his life in the crash, with his family and friends being notified promptly.

Among the injured, Tchando Matthieu from Benin suffered a critical brain injury, necessitating a medically induced coma. Doctors are hopeful about his recovery, with plans to gradually bring him out of the coma. Another victim, Evariste Gbejihounde, also from Benin, is dealing with internal bleeding and broken ribs, while Togo’s Tomsuwa Cosme, initially thought to have serious injuries, is now in stable condition.

YWAM has urged the public to pray for those affected, emphasizing that “It is a matter of life and death that he wakes up, so please pray urgently,” as noted on their website.

This accident is not an isolated incident. Earlier in February 2024, a similar tragedy struck in Tanzania where a road accident claimed the lives of eight YWAM missionaries. Such incidents shed light on the alarming road safety situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the road traffic fatality rate is 27 per 100,000 inhabitants—threefold the rate in Europe, as reported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Jean Todt, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, has pointed out Africa’s susceptibility to road traffic accidents, which are now the leading cause of death among young people on the continent. This urgent issue demands immediate intervention.

The Africa Development Group (AFdB) has released a report titled “Mortality in Africa: The Share of Road Traffic Fatalities,” indicating that 25% of all injury-related deaths in Africa are due to road accidents, with Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco experiencing particularly high death rates. The report suggests that enhancing road infrastructure and implementing stringent road safety measures could significantly reduce these fatalities, though enforcement remains a significant challenge.

This article was originally published by Christian Daily International.