Lagos: 22Bet Nigeria, a betting platform, on Friday distributed 200 food boxes to vulnerable residents of the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos as part of its Christmas outreach initiative. Speaking during the outreach, Mr. Fikayo Ogunfuye, Country Director of 22Bet Nigeria, said that the initiative reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting underprivileged communities.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ogunfuye said the company partnered with the Lagos Food Bank on the initiative, having selected no fewer than 200 beneficiaries, including widows, widowers, retirees, and low-income earners. He stated that the food boxes, each valued at over N200,000, contained cereals and other staple food items suitable for families and children.
“This initiative was conceived to give back to the Lagos community, which has supported the company’s growth over the past five years,” Ogunfuye said. “We have been in existence for about five years, and in that time, we have carried out several campaigns in Oyo and other states
where we have always given back.”
Ogunfuye explained that the choice of Ebute-Metta for the distribution was based on assessments showing a high concentration of vulnerable groups in the community. While acknowledging that 200 boxes were not enough, he mentioned plans to scale up in subsequent editions, aiming for 1,000 or even 5,000 boxes in the future.
Dr. Michael Sunbola, Executive Director of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, highlighted the partnership’s goal of assisting households struggling with rising food prices and declining purchasing power. He emphasized that the items provided were capable of sustaining a family of five for at least two weeks.
Sunbola noted that beneficiaries were pre-registered and issued cards to avoid disorderliness, calling on more corporate organizations to emulate the initiative, as many Nigerians faced worsening hardship. One of the beneficiaries, Ms. Adijat Salau, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture, while Ms. Rashidat Bakare remarked on the daily struggle of feedi
ng due to the economic situation.