A head-on collision between two buses along Nigeria's Lagos-Ibadan expressway left at least 26 people dead, a road safety official said.

The two 18-seater buses caught fire immediately after a head-on collision on the expressway, , Xinhua news agency quoted Oyo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps Yusuf Salami as saying on Saturday.

On his part, the state police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu said 26 people were burnt to death before any intervention arrived.

He said 11 people including children were injured in the crash and were being treated in the hospitals.

Eyewitness said the passengers in the two buses were burnt beyond recognition.

Nigeria has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents in the world mainly due to shoddy highways, poorly maintained vehicles, violation of traffic rules by inept drivers and lack of monitoring.