NGO urges support for the hungry
MAY 29, 2013
As the world marks the annual hunger day, a non-governmental organisation has called on Nigerians to support “people without food” in the country.
The organisation, FoodBank Nigeria, made the call during a press conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House, who is a member of the board of trustees, said it was sad that in a country like Nigeria where there was abundance of resources, about 30 per cent of the populace were still living in hunger and squalor.
He said, “Recent estimates from different sources put the number of hungry people in Nigeria at over 53 million.
“That is about 30 per cent of the country’s total population. The Global Hunger Index reports that about 40 per cent of Nigerian children under age five are stunted in their growth. Nine per cent are wasted (have low weight given their height) and 25 per cent are underweight, all due to hunger.
“As a country, Nigeria ranks in the GHI’s top 20 nations most ravaged by hunger.’’
Ighodalo said the alarming rate of hunger made it important for the rich and other well meaning Nigerians to rise up and do something towards alleviating the national challenge.
He added that the organisation, which also had several other Nigerians on its board including the first lady of Ekiti state, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, seeks to work as an ‘’aid-clearing house that coordinates and maximises the distribution and donations through identified channels and food programmes.’’
He revealed that a warehouse had already been opened in Obanikoro area of Lagos for this purpose, and it would want to partner with other registered organisations to achieve ‘’zero hunger communities’’.
Another board member, Dr. Emyantu Ifenne, said the situation had gone beyond the government, stressing that more people must rise to save the nation.
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