Every month, a group of older adults gather at the Lagos Food Bank warehouse for screening and counseling. One participant, Iya Dele, a grandmother in her late sixties from Agege, a low-income community, once shared how she used to worry constantly about her next meal. Diagnosed with diabetes years ago, she found it hard to afford the right foods while keeping her blood sugar level stable. Simple staples she loved no longer suited her health, and the fear of complications added to her daily burden.

This is the reality many indigent adults living with diabetes face in Lagos slums and underserved areas. Limited income often forces difficult choices between medication, diabetes appropriate meals, or other family needs. The Lagos Food Bank Initiative created the Nutrition Intervention for Diabetes Self-management (NIDS) program to ease this struggle.

Launched in 2020 as a two-year pilot that screened its first 25 beneficiaries (adults aged 50 to 65), NIDS provides free diabetes-appropriate food packages, practical nutrition education, and lifestyle tips to people living with diabetes (PLD) in low-income communities to help manage the incurable health condition. Through this approach, NIDS works to reduce the risk of complications and improve overall quality of life. The program has since been renewed through 2025, reaching 125 beneficiaries in that year alone. 

Beneficiaries often describe a noticeable difference after joining the program and attending a few sessions. Many report feeling more in control of their health, with fewer extreme fluctuations and a greater sense of hope. The monthly screenings and counseling create a space where participants feel seen and supported, not just as patients but as individuals rebuilding confidence in managing their condition.

As diabetes continues to rise in Nigeria amid urbanization and economic pressures, programs like NIDS show how targeted nutrition can work alongside medical care. In 2026, LFBI plans to build on this foundation by strengthening elements such as self-management education and support services for even broader well-being.

You can help more adults like our monthly participants regain stability and hope. Donate to fund diabetes-friendly food packages and education sessions. Volunteer to support distributions or community sensitization. Partner with us as a healthcare provider, corporate sponsor, or primary health center to expand reach.

Through reliable nutrition and guidance, NIDS helps turn the daily challenge of diabetes into something more manageable, one family at a time.