KANO, Nigeria (AFP) - Twenty-two students and their driver were killed on Tuesday (Feb 13) when their bus collided with a truck in northern Nigeria, a road safety official told AFP.

The students from a public secondary school in Bauchi state were on their way to the city of Kano for an excursion when their driver lost control while trying to dodge a pothole, Kabiru Daura, spokesman for the federal road safety corps (FRSC) in Kano said.

"Twenty-two students died in the crash along with their driver while three others were seriously injured," Daura said on the accident which occurred in Gaya town, 50km outside Kano.

"The driver lost control and had a head-on collision with a truck," Daura said.

Crashes are common on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads due largely to speeding, reckless driving and overloading.