Deadly Stampedes for Food in Nigeria

Nigerians are struggling to afford food due to unemployment and inflation, relying on help from food distribution centers. In December, desperate crowds waiting outside food distribution centers in Ibadan, Okija, and the nation’s capital, Abuja, stampeded as the doors opened for business, killing dozens (Deutsche Welle, December 24, 2024). At least 67 people, including 35 children, died seeking food gifts as Christmas approached. Even rice, which was once very affordable to all, is now seen as a “luxury” by many.

As one pensioner commented, “The economic situation in Nigeria seems to be getting out of hand… and the way people are now scrambling for food items wherever they can find [them] is a testimony to what is happening in the economy.” Human history bears sad witness to the fact that, when people are desperate, many descend to a level of self-preservation that overcomes much of their humanity.

As we consider Africa and much of the world, we see times becoming more dire for many. Drought, war, famine, and economic hardship are all reasons people are becoming desperate. And according to Bible prophecy, a climactic period of extreme conditions like these will one day impact a quarter of the entire world before Jesus Christ’s return (Revelation 6:1–8). Yet mankind’s Savior will return and address these sources of suffering and hardship forever, bringing “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). To learn more about what to look for as the end of the age approaches, read or listen to Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.