This glaring disparity points to a lack of organizational planning, risk assessment, and safety measures, rather than poverty alone. For instance, the Dangote Foundation’s National Rice Relief Programme and Tony Elumelu’s distribution of 1,800 bags of rice in Delta State were conducted safely. Similarly, President Tinubu has distributed palliatives during festive seasons for over 25 years without any loss of life. These examples underscore the importance of meticulous planning and professional execution in avoiding such disasters.
Experts identify common factors leading to stampedes:
1. Overcrowding.
2. Poor crowd control.
3. Insufficient safety measures.
4. Lack of planning and coordination.
5. Desperation due to limited resources.
Unfortunately, all these factors were prevalent in the recent Nigerian tragedies. For example, in February 2024, a stampede during rice distribution by the Nigeria Customs Service claimed seven lives after supplies ran out. These incidents highlight the urgent need for better planning and regulations to prevent future tragedies.
Lessons From Global Practices
Globally, permits are often required for events involving large crowds to ensure public safety and order. In the United States, such requirements are rooted in lessons from tragic events like the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Permits serve several purposes:
1. Public Safety: Authorities assess risks and implement measures to prevent accidents.
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2. Accountability: Event organizers are held responsible for mishaps.
3. Regulation of Public Spaces: Permits help manage disruptions to normal activities.
4. Emergency Response: Authorities can prepare for medical, fire, and security needs.
5. Community Input: Residents and businesses are notified and allowed to provide feedback.
6. Legal Framework: Regulations ensure freedom of assembly is exercised responsibly.
Adopting similar frameworks in Nigeria could help prevent the kind of tragedies seen in December 2024. Lawmakers must urgently enact laws governing the organization of palliative and food distribution events, mandating professional planning, crowd control measures, and risk assessments.
A Call To Action
The organizers of the recent tragic events in Nigeria did not violate any existing laws, as no regulations currently govern such activities. This lack of oversight highlights the need for urgent legislative intervention to ensure the safety and dignity of future philanthropic efforts.
Each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory must develop and codify regulations that reflect local dynamics, ensuring that no charity event becomes a source of mourning. As Napoleon Hill wisely said, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
The benefit from these tragic events must be a collective resolve to prevent future occurrences. May 2025 be a year of safety, progress, and lessons learned.
• Magnus Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, democracy advocate, development strategist, alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA, and a former commissioner in the Delta State government (2003–2007), sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.
To continue this conversation and more, please visit www.magnum.ng.
