Olatawura Ladipo-Ajayi, Lagos Community Manager
According to a survey carried out by the Financial Derivatives Company, prices in Lagos are rising largely due to increases in food prices, because of food supply shortfalls. Increases in prices make access to food difficult for the urban poor, so to tackle the problem of food supply, organizations are working to find out where the shortages come from, and who suffers from these breaks in food supply. To this end, Food Bank Nigeria organizes research to better understand its environment and to help design effective food relief program in various Nigerian cities, including Lagos.
Food Bank Nigeria (FBN) is a non-governmental organization that focuses on mending the food gaps in Nigeria. Their mission is to effectively address identified food gaps in Nigeria through sourcing and distribution of food, appropriate innovative programs, education, and advocacy. The organization serves as a central pantry for other organizations working to fill the gaps created by inadequate food supply, lack of affordability and during emergency situations, through soup kitchens, shelters, group homes, senior centers, and emergency food pantries. FBN’s programs are wide reaching, catering to different social groups and age grades in need of food supply, including children, senior citizens, single parent families, the homeless, the unemployed, disaster victims, and many other special needs groups.
The organization provides food to relief programs through a reliable source, created by partnerships with food retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers to acquire, store, and redistribute food to agency programs, working as a central bank for food. They help other non-profit operations extend the impact of their food budgets, so that their scarce resources can be redirected to their programs. FBN programs include food drives and outreach campaigns. The organization has set up a system of sustaining food supply to other agencies catering to the hungry in the city through its food drive program. This program promotes and supports food and fund drives which allow private citizens as well as societies to organize food drives. They also solicit food stuffs from local companies, schools, and neighborhood associations to create a steady flow of food supply to the poor and hungry families. FBN is also responsible for a pilot program at the Makoko Children School which introduces lunch packs as a way to keep students in schools, while ensuring a regular meal each day for the pupils. The pilot was deemed successful and the organization is now working on extending it and on finding sponsors.
During this year’s Hunger Action Month (October), FBN will host booths at neighborhood stores and markets to spread the word about FBN’s mission and to inspire people to get involved with food/fund drives and with volunteering. The public will be informed about food security issues and the effort of FBN and its partner agencies in addressing such issues. FBN currently works with four agencies in Lagos and are looking to register more. Some of their agencies feed at least 100 people twice a day, every day. Project coordinator Paul Achem estimates that the program has fed roughly 22,500 people since it started. FBN has big goals to help close the food supply gap, aiming to feed about five million people a day across the nation. While the program is just gaining ground, it is definitely on the right track.
Photo credit: Food Bank Nigeria