How the Lagos Food Bank Initiative is Raising Awareness Through Photography

The pandemic has been devastating for Nigeria's poorest communities — with inflation skyrocketing, many people who used to be financially secure can no longer afford to eat.

In the country's largest city, the Lagos Food Bank Initiative has increased their outreach efforts to get food to those who need it most. A non-profit with a focus on nutrition, the LFBI's work includes projects dedicated to reducing food waste and offering education around nutrition.

Raising awareness with photography

Photography has become an important part of the work the LFBI does to raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition in Lagos.

"We decided to share our photos on Pexels so we can share our stories through photos to a larger audience, and inform people of the need for a food banking system in Africa," says Oladipupo Ajisegiri Gabriel, web and social media leader at the LFBI.

On their Pexels profile, the LFBI is sharing timely imagery of their volunteers at work: meeting with community members as well as packing, transporting, and distributing food.

All these photos are free to download and use for news articles, blog posts, educational content, and any other project that would benefit from authentic images that show the real challenges and joys of helping get food to people who need it most.

Why the Lagos Food Initiative is currently so crucial

The effects of Covid-19 have been strongly felt all over the world, but the situation in Nigeria is especially dire.

The World Bank estimates that an additional seven million Nigerians experienced poverty in 2020 — an increase of 10%.

Extreme inflation means that some staple food items now cost twice as much as they usually would. Families who previously had no problem making ends meet now find themselves going hungry, and in desperate need of support.

That's where the LFBI has stepped in, distributing packages of essential food items like rice, oil, and vegetables.

They hope that sharing imagery of their work with the world through Pexels will help open more people's eyes to the need for support in Nigeria.

Photos that tell the real story

These images are important not only to spread the word about the much-needed work LFBI is doing. They're also helping offer a genuine, non-stereotypical view of poverty in Nigeria, documented by local volunteers.

It's still all too common for Western media outlets to show a simplistic view of Africa in the images they choose. We hope that images like these can help provide a real perspective on the current food crisis in Lagos — while also celebrating the determination of the community volunteers who come out to help the LFBI in their mission.

"These photos depict the vulnerability of our beneficiaries, the assiduousness of our volunteers, and the level of poverty in these communities we reach," says Oladipupo. "These pictures are important because they tell our story and the stories of the under-served communities we cover."

The LFBI's thousands of volunteers reach people in need in over 100 Lagos communities, with a particular focus on improving nutrition for children, seniors, pregnant women, and infants, working to fight malnutrition among the most destitute people in Lagos.

Organizations and individuals from anywhere in the world who are interested in learning more or getting involved with LFBI are welcome to reach out. Contact them at [email protected] or visit their donation page for more information.

Discover and download more photos from the Lagos Food Bank Initiative at their Pexels profile.