Continued from yesterday
Comparing this effort to the chaotic and tragic distribution of N5,000 in Ibadan, food sharing in Abuja, and palliatives in Okija highlights the critical role of organisation in philanthropy. While Dangote’s large-scale distribution involved meticulous planning and professional execution, the poorly managed events in these other locations led to preventable fatalities.

The success of the Dangote Foundation’s initiative demonstrates that planning and professionalism are non-negotiable in philanthropy. As such, this discourse aims to advocate for legislative action to establish guidelines for philanthropic activities in Nigeria, ensuring that future acts of charity are executed safely and efficiently. It boggles the mind that wedding parties planners/organisers in Nigeria make provision for drivers of the dignitaries by providing vouchers for them to pick up their food to avoid the scramble that could lead to stampede, yet palliatives distributors do not deem it to spread their milk of human kindness in any other way than gathering humans together in tight spaces and without taking into account the potential numbers of responders viz-a-viz the items available to give away.

Be that as it may, it is worth noting that stampedes resulting from poorly planned food distribution events are not unique to Nigeria. Similar tragedies have occurred globally:
• Tanzania (2015): A stampede in Dar es Salaam during food distribution led to five deaths.
• South Africa (2013): Two people died in Johannesburg during a stampede at a food centre.
• Kenya (2017): A food distribution event in Nairobi resulted in one fatality.

These incidents emphasise the universal need for proper planning and crowd management during such events. By learning from global best practices and enforcing regulations, Nigeria can prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Tragic lessons from philanthropy: The need for organised frameworks:
Similar to Africa, Asia has also witnessed tragic outcomes during palliative distributions. For instance:
• India (2013): A stampede during a food distribution event in New Delhi resulted in two deaths.
• Pakistan (2014): During Ramadan, a stampede in Karachi claimed two lives.
• Bangladesh (2018): A food distribution event in Dhaka led to one fatality.
In the Middle East, similar incidents have occurred:
• Saudi Arabia (2015): A stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, involving food and water distribution, resulted in over 2,400 deaths.
• Yemen (2016): A food distribution event in Sana’a left two dead.
Even South America has not been spared:
• Brazil (2013): A stampede during food distribution in Rio de Janeiro led to one death.

While food distribution stampedes are a global phenomenon, Nigeria’s disproportionate death toll stands out alarmingly. In just three days—December 18 to 21, 2024—three separate stampedes in Ibadan, Okija, and Abuja led to the tragic loss of approximately 70 lives, a stark contrast to the single-digit fatalities seen in other countries.

This glaring disparity points to a lack of organisational planning, risk assessment, and safety measures, rather than poverty alone. For instance, the Dangote Foundation’s National Rice Relief Programme nationwide back in February and Tony Elumelu’s distribution of 1,800 bags of rice in Delta State during the current festive period were conducted safely. Similarly, President Tinubu has distributed palliatives during this festive season and 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 as overcrowding, poor crowd control, insufficient safety measures, and lack of planning and coordination as well as

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 Nigerian Customs Service claimed seven lives after supplies ran out. These incidents highlight the urgent need for better planning and regulations in definitive manner 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:
• Public Safety: Authorities assess risks and implement measures to prevent accidents.
• Accountability: Event organisers are held responsible for mishaps.
• Regulation of Public Spaces: Permits help manage disruptions to normal activities.
• Emergency Response: Authorities can prepare for medical, fire, and security needs.
• Community Input: Residents and businesses are notified and allowed to provide feedback.
• 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. Arising from the above lawmakers must urgently enact laws governing the organisation of palliative and food distribution events, mandating professional planning, crowd control measures, and risk assessments.

A call to action
It is unsurprising that the organisers of the recent tragic events in Nigeria did not violate any existing laws, as no regulations currently govern such activities. As such, this lack of oversight highlights the need for urgent legislative intervention to ensure the safety and dignity of future philanthropic efforts.

Therefore, 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.
Concluded.
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.