On Saturday, March 15 in Nigeria, 16 people reportedly were killed in stampedes across the country while trying to apply for Nigerian government jobs. People were invited to five different locations across the country to apply and the amount of applicants severely outnumbered the positions available.
According to The Guardian Nigeria’s Interior Minister Abba Moro said, “They lost their lives through their impatience.” But, the Minister is being blamed by The Education Rights Campaign for the deaths because he invited way more people than the five venues hosting the event could hold.
According to the Associated Press 65,000 people were invited to one venue, the Abuja National Stadium, which only has a maximum capacity of 60,000.
Aside from the 16 people that lost their lives, more are hospitalized. There is going to be mass chaos when in total a half a million people were invited to apply for less than 5,000 government positions. The country still struggles with unemployment and the level of desperation for jobs was proven on Saturday.