A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Lafiaji Development Association has launched a food bank initiative to cushion the effect of hardship faced by residents in the Lafiaji area of Lagos State.
Speaking at the Lafiaji Community Centre, Lagos, state commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Hon Ope George, disclosed that the initiative is one of the many phases of the palliative project providing basic food items for residents of the local community, as this drive is to bring relief to the residents at this present hard time.
He remarked that the food bank initiatives are driven by the development association and in his capacity supporting the project by giving back to the community.
He said, “It’s a food bank initiative and we’re here to support our people and try and give back to the community.
This is one of the first phases of many of these initiatives, and we are going to continue this food bank initiative to bring succour to the residents around the Lagos community comprising Simpson, Araromi, Okesuna, Obalende and Ijeh.
“The project is an association development initiative that we’re part of with my fellow association members.
“We felt the food bank initiative is a way of giving back to the community, looking at the present time, as we go on, it’s one of the first. We’ll try to continue to do more as we go ahead.”
He stressed that the government cannot do it all. So, associations like this have a way of providing support to the people in different communities around Lagos, as he tasked other development associations around Lagos to emulate community driven project to help augment government interventions for residents and indigenous people of the state.
“I think it’s just to continuously, as a people, we need to ensure that we’ are our neighbour’s and our brother’s keeper.
“So, as an association, we are part of the community, we know people in the community, we know what they need. So, it’s for us to try and be able to help our fellow brothers and sisters within our community. So, I am sure other associations within the state will do the same.”
