• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Feeding the most vulnerable Nigerians

Feeding the most vulnerable Nigerians

According to the United Nations, Nigeria has a poverty rate of 42.6%. Furthermore, the
country ranks 93 out of 117 in the Global Hunger Index. The percentage of the population
covered by Social Protection support is only 5.2%. This means that many families struggle to
make ends meet, and the most vulnerable are faced with food insecurity and malnutrition,
leading to many premature deaths of children and the elderly.

These realities have persisted for many years, but have been further worsened by the economic and health shocks and food shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is where non- profit organizations like Lagos Food Bank come in. It was founded in 2015 by Mr. Michael A. Sunbola, motivated by his own childhood experiences. As the third child in a family of five children, his parents did not have a steady means of income. According to Michael, “most times, I ate one meal per day, going to school on an empty stomach, and went to bed regularly without food.

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We started fending for ourselves at a tender age selling nylon bags at a nearby market to get food. If we failed to make sales, we would stroll into a nearby farm to pick fruits that fell from the tree.” Even during holidays like Christmas, food was not readily available, and Michael and his siblings were compelled to depend on their neighbors. These experiences motivated Michael to devote his life to helping vulnerable people faced with food insecurity, especially mothers and children.

Michael at an outreach event pre-Covid-19

Operating in a megacity with millions of food-insecure people is not an easy feat; as a result,
Lagos Food Bank has carved out its niche. First, the nonprofit organization attracts volunteers,
individual and corporate partners to support its vision. Then the team identifies and selects an
undeserved area that is in dire need of food and contributions, prioritizing children from ages of 5-16, vulnerable teenagers, widows and indigent adults over the age of 50 in these communities. Churches, police stations, and hospitals also lend a hand by providing Lagos Food Bank with useful insights into which districts need the donations the most. The organization provides both perishable and non-perishable food products like rice, garri, beans, noodles, beverages, spices, vegetable oil, and baby food. They also offer non-food items like toothpaste, soap and toilet paper, and other essential products that we take for granted. This is all made possible because of the generous and consistent donations made by individuals and organizations.

Volunteers carrying donated items for distribution during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since its founding in 2015, Lagos Food Bank has reached 86 communities, has 7,000
registered volunteers, and has impacted over a million beneficiaries. During the COVID-19
pandemic, the organization has experienced an outpouring of support from individuals and
corporates funders and donors as well as volunteers, to feed more vulnerable people. It has also increased its outreach activities, changing its approach significantly to ensure social distancing, mask distribution, and other health precautions. As someone who has volunteered with Lagos Food Bank on several occasions since I was thirteen, I have observed the organization’s commitment to transforming lives, and the unique benefits of volunteering to serve the most vulnerable.

While we all need to continue to support the Lagos Food Bank and other credible
nonprofit organizations focused on feeding Nigerians, we ultimately must ensure that we work
together to ensure that we reduce poverty in our country. This long-term intervention will ensure that more households have access to nutritious food, and more children do not go to bed hungry.

Udenna Nwuneli is a 16-year old student at Portsmouth Abbey School. He is supporting the
Lagos Food Bank through the Haney Fellowship.