World Food Day: InnerCity Mission Rallies Stakeholders To End Hunger, Poverty

As part of activities marking World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the InnerCity Mission for Children will on Friday, 17th October 2025, host a high-level roundtable discussion in Ikeja, Lagos, themed “Developing Local Humanitarian Solutions to Global Challenges.”

The event aims to mobilise individuals, corporate organisations, and civil society groups to take collective action against hunger and poverty, especially among society’s most vulnerable.

Participants will also visit the Mission’s Food Bank in Ikeja, the first of six established across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

They will tour the InnerCity Mission School in Ikeja, a fully free institution where hundreds of children receive quality education, free books, bags, shoes, daily nutritious meals, and medical care.

The school is one of 14 operational free schools, with another five under construction, bringing the total to 19 schools across Malawi, Fiji, Liberia, Uganda, the Central African Republic, and India.

Expected attendees include **federal lawmakers, civil society leaders, institutional partners, and representatives of international organisations such as the United Nations.

According to the organisation’s Publicity Secretary, Ms Ijeoma, “Hunger and poverty are existential threats to any society. While governments continue refining economic policies, individuals and organisations must also take responsibility for improving lives around them. That is how we build sustainable change.”

Founded in 2005 by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc, DSc, DD, the InnerCity Mission for Children has grown from a small shelter for homeless children into a global humanitarian network operating in over 109 countries.

It runs 9 free schools, six food banks, and more than 1,000 community pantries and kitchens worldwide.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission distributed over 88 million meals globally through its emergency food relief initiative. To address ongoing food insecurity, it launched the 1 Billion Meals Campaign (2023), followed by 5 Billion Meals (2024) and the current **7 Billion Meals Campaign (2025), which has already surpassed 5 billion meals distributed worldwide this year.

In addition, its Women Economic Empowerment Initiative (WEEI) has supported over 100,000 women across Africa, helping families move from dependence to sustainable livelihoods.

The roundtable reaffirms the Mission’s vision to create a world where every child survives, lives above poverty, and contributes meaningfully to society.