Lagos, Nigeria, became the center of Africa’s hunger-relief movement between November 17th and 20th, 2025, as the Lagos Food Bank Initiative proudly hosted the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) Africa Food Bank Conference 2025. This landmark gathering brought together leaders from 10 food banks across Africa; Banque Alimentaire du Benin, Banque Alimentaire de Côte d’Ivoire, Mapendo Banque Alimentaire, It Rains Food Bank of Ethiopia, Food For All Africa of Ghana, Food Banking Kenya, Banque Alimentaire de Madagascar, FoodWise of Mauritius, Banco de Alimentos de Moçambique, and FoodForward South Africa, all united by one mission: advancing sustainable food security on the continent.
A Convergence of Innovation, Collaboration, and Impact
The four-day conference commenced with an inspiring call for collective action, emphasizing the urgency of addressing hunger, malnutrition, and food loss and waste across African communities. Delegates explored innovative strategies that strengthen food systems, build community resilience, and increase access to nutritious food for vulnerable households. The conference also created a dynamic learning environment where African food banks exchanged experiences, challenges, and scalable solutions tailored to their local contexts.
Speaking on collaborations of both the private and public sectors to address food insecurity, the Executive Director/Founder of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, Dr. Michael Sunbola said; “The government needs to give tax incentives and legislation that can encourage donations to causes like food banks. Also, food banks can be well-positioned to assist the government with supporting those at the front line of hunger. The corporates are responding, and individuals have been so magnanimous. We just need to do more on the side of the government to help us with those legislations.”
The Regional Director of the Global Foodbanking Network, Gaby Kafarhire, also had insightful words during the opening remarks of the conference. “The focus of the conference is to share knowledge about a platter of things, from operational topics to good governance and partnership development. There are 11 food bankers in the room, representing each country,” she said.
Facility Tour and Field Engagements
Apart from the power-packed sessions of indoor meetings, participants enjoyed a guided tour of the Lagos Food Bank warehouse, gaining firsthand insight into LFBI’s programs and operational excellence, including food sourcing, sorting, storage, processing, and community distribution systems. They also engaged in packaging and distribution of food boxes to beneficiaries of the Temporary Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), experiencing the impact of what a typical outreach with LFBI is like.
Special highlights of the outdoor engagements were the interactive field visits to state-of-the-art facilities of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Olam Agri and AAVA Brands Ltd., which offered a deeper understanding of private-sector collaborations that strengthen local food systems in Nigeria.
Strengthening Partnerships for a Hunger-Free Africa
Across multiple sessions, the conference underscored the importance of strong, strategic collaborations. Speakers from GFN, and African food banks reaffirmed the critical role of collaboration in building a future where no African goes hungry.
The meeting also served as a platform to celebrate food banks’ expanding role in the following areas:
- Nutrition intervention improvement
- Climate-resilient food programs
- Community empowerment
- Agricultural recovery
- Youth and women-focused interventions
A Milestone for LFBI and the African Food Banking Network
Hosting this conference marks a significant achievement for the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, reflecting its leadership as one of Africa’s foremost frontline hunger-relief organizations. LFBI continues to set standards in sustainability, innovation, and community-centered solutions.
By bringing African food banks together in Lagos, this event strengthened regional cohesion and laid the foundation for more impactful, continent-wide collaborations.
LFBI’s Global Certification
A major highlight for the host was the presentation of a global certification on foodbanking operations by the GFN officials, underscoring the commitment to world-class standards in food banking operations, and hard work put in in advancing the SDG Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) in underserved communities in Nigeria.
GFN’s global certification affirms LFBI’s operational capacity and its adherence to best global practices in key areas including:
- Food safety management and quality assurance
- Responsible food sourcing and waste reduction
- Transparent governance and resource accountability
- Program effectiveness and measurable community impact
- Volunteer management and community engagement
Moving Forward: A Renewed Commitment
As the conference concluded, participants reaffirmed their collective commitment to strengthening food security systems across Africa. With renewed momentum, shared knowledge, and stronger partnerships, food banks across the continent are better equipped to scale their impact and uplift millions of vulnerable people.
The Lagos Food Bank Initiative remains grateful to the Global Foodbanking Network (GFN) and visiting food banks who made this historic event a success. Together, they move forward with one voice and one mission, a hunger-free Africa.