Across Nigeria’s bustling cities and highways, one of the most overlooked dangers behind the wheel isn’t just bad roads, reckless overtaking, or poorly maintained vehicles, it is the silent but deadly issue of unlicensed drivers.

Also Read: The Growing Menace of Touts on Abuja Roads: Risks for Innocent Drivers

Every day, thousands of Nigerians drive without valid licenses, some never having gone through the process of obtaining one. Others exploit loopholes, bribery, and fake licensing syndicates to bypass the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) requirements.

The result is a ticking time bomb on our roads: untrained, unqualified drivers handling vehicles they can barely control, endangering innocent road users, and making mockery of Nigeria’s traffic laws.

This investigative report by RoadKing.ng takes a deep dive into the growing menace of unlicensed drivers, why the problem persists, and the ripple effects on road safety, law enforcement credibility, and public trust.

The Scope of the Problem

Official statistics paint a grim picture. According to the FRSC 2024 Road Safety Report, at least 23% of drivers arrested for fatal crashes in Nigeria were found to be driving without valid licenses. The National Bureau of Statistics also reports that out of the estimated 13 million vehicles plying Nigerian roads, more than 40% are operated by drivers with either expired, forged, or non-existent licenses.

This is not just an administrative failure, it is a deadly epidemic. Every unlicensed driver represents a potential accident waiting to happen, especially in a country where traffic management is already fragile.

Why So Many Nigerians Drive Without Licenses

1. Cost and Bureaucracy
   Getting a valid license in Nigeria can be an expensive and frustrating process. Many drivers complain of long delays, hidden fees, and corrupt officials demanding bribes. Instead of waiting weeks or months, they resort to buying fake licenses from touts.
2. Ignorance and Cultural Attitudes
   In many rural and semi-urban areas, driving is treated as a skill passed down from family or peers, not as a regulated responsibility. A driver who can move a car from point A to B feels qualified, regardless of whether they’ve been trained or tested.
3. Weak Enforcement
   Although FRSC and VIO officers often mount road checks, enforcement remains inconsistent. In some cases, drivers evade penalties by offering bribes.
4. Touts and Fake Licensing Syndicates
   RoadKing.ng investigations uncovered that several touts around licensing offices in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt openly advertise “express licenses” for between ₦20,000 and ₦40,000—delivered in 24 hours without the driver ever taking a test.

The Ripple Effects on Road Safety

Unlicensed drivers are more likely to:

• Cause Crashes: Without formal training, many do not understand traffic signs, lane discipline, or defensive driving.
• Overload and Overspeed: Especially common among commercial bus and truck drivers trying to maximize profit.
• Endanger Pedestrians: Most pedestrian knockdowns in Nigeria occur in areas where informal drivers operate.
• Increase Insurance Fraud: Victims of accidents involving unlicensed drivers often struggle to get compensation, as insurance companies refuse claims.

Real-Life Incidents

• Ogun State, July 2024: A 19-year-old unlicensed driver lost control of a Toyota Sienna bus, killing 7 passengers instantly.
• Abuja, March 2025: FRSC intercepted a driver transporting schoolchildren in a bus with no valid license. Witnesses said he could barely reverse properly.
• Kano, 2023: An unlicensed truck driver carrying cement lost his brakes and rammed into a market, killing 12.

Interviews and Public Perception

RoadKing.ng interviewed commuters and stakeholders:

• “Sometimes, you enter a bus and realize the driver doesn’t even know how to handle gears properly. When you ask for his license, he laughs,” said Aisha Mohammed, a student in Kano.
• “The truth is, many people in this country are driving illegally. If FRSC starts arresting everybody, half the roads will be empty,” admitted a commercial driver in Lagos who refused to be named.
• “It is a national disgrace that you can buy a license in Nigeria without ever entering a car for testing. This is why we keep burying innocent citizens after avoidable accidents,” lamented road safety activist, Chinedu Ekwueme.

Enforcement Gaps and Institutional Failures

Despite government claims of digitizing licensing through the Driver’s Licence portal (www.nigeriadriverslicence.org), loopholes remain.

1. Corruption at Issuing Offices
   Officials collaborate with touts to issue fake or unverified licenses.
2. Low Police and FRSC Coordination
   A driver flagged for fake licenses in Lagos can easily move to Ibadan or Abuja without consequence because databases are poorly integrated.
3. Weak Penalties
   Under current traffic laws, driving without a license attracts fines of ₦10,000–₦20,000. For many commercial drivers, this is cheaper than actually applying for a license.

The Economic Cost

The economic impact of accidents caused by unlicensed drivers is enormous. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Nigeria loses about ₦3 trillion annually to road crashes in medical expenses, loss of productivity, and damages. Unlicensed drivers contribute a significant share of these losses.

What Needs to Be Done

1. Strict Nationwide Enforcement
   Police, FRSC, and VIO should collaborate on a unified digital platform for driver records.
2. Ban on Roadside Touts
   Arrests should target not only unlicensed drivers but also syndicates selling fake licenses.
3. Affordable Licensing
   Government should subsidize first-time licenses for young drivers to reduce the temptation of fakes.
4. Public Awareness Campaigns
   Educating Nigerians on the dangers of unlicensed driving must be intensified in schools, transport unions, and media.
5. Technology-Driven Checks
   Mobile scanners should be given to FRSC and police to verify license authenticity instantly on the road.

Conclusion

The menace of unlicensed drivers in Nigeria is a silent epidemic, an invisible but deadly threat on our roads. Until authorities strengthen enforcement and ordinary Nigerians start valuing licenses as more than just “paper,” tragedies will continue to occur.

The price of negligence isn’t just fines or bribes, it’s human lives lost daily on Nigerian highways.