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STORY: This warehouse is a crucial lifeline for some Nigerians amid a spiraling cost of living.
But the Lagos Food Bank is not immune from the economic crisis.
It’s been forced to cut back on handouts to residents like Damilola Salamai as supplies from donors have fallen amid soaring inflation.
“There is nothing for us to eat; we are hungry. Our children are out of school because of the hike in fees. Now, the children are at home and there is no food. They should please have mercy, we are hungry.’”
Nigeria’s economic turmoil has deepened since President Bola Tinubu rolled out bold but unpopular economic reforms after taking office last May.
Inflation rose for the 14th straight month in February to above 30% – a new 28-year high.
Last month seven people were killed in a crush at a Lagos food distribution center.
Lagos Food Bank founder Michael Sunbola said his facility’s major donor had cut supplies by 93%, citing the high cost of food.
“But what is our capacity, what can we do?”
He said they’ve had to reduce the number of people they can help.
“Now we only do women, now from age of 50, and somehow, so a lot of indices that have really cut down the number for us to be able to meet the capacity that we can do per time.’’
The food bank has also dialed back on quantities.
It now provides families with enough supplies for a few days at a time, when once their parcels would have lasted two weeks.
No Hunger Initiatives, a food bank serving mostly internally displaced people in the capital Abuja, faces similar problems.
A senior official there said the number of people seeking handouts had tripled since May 2023.
