COVID-19: Oyakhilome’s InnerCity Mission partners Lagos, donates food items to 20,000 households

The InnerCity Mission for Children, a non-governmental organization under the auspices of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International has made donations of food items to the Lagos state government to help cushion effects of the lockdown on residents of the state.

Presenting the items to the Commissioner of Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal and the state’s commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. 

Lola Akande on Friday at the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority office, Director of Innercity Mission for Children, Mrs. Omo Alabi, said the global coronavirus pandemic has reached dangerous dimensions with an inevitable adverse effects on virtually all areas of human endeavor, hence the need to assist the Lagos state government in cushioning the effects on Lagosians.

“We deem it necessary, as a faith-based organisation to lend our own support for the laudable efforts of the government to cushion the unsettling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on many families in Lagos State.

“As a caring organisation we realized that we cannot be indifferent to the plight of many challenged masses of the state. We are trying to stretch out a hand of kindness to those who ordinarily will not have anyone to care for them,” she stated.

Speaking further, Mrs. Alabi said the founder of the InnerCity Mission for Children, Rev. Dr. Chris Oyakhilome DSc DD is committed to working with the government to ensure that efforts to combat the virus are not made in vain by those who may be driven to the streets as a result of hunger.

“Our goal is to ensure that indigent children and families are safe and fed even as the world fights against Covid19. As we reach out to these needy with food supplies, it is our prayer that soon we will be able to put this behind us and our cities will return back to normal. Pastor Mrs Omo Alabi, Director, Innercity Mission for Children,” she added.

Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the Lagos State Government, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, commended the Innercity Mission for Children for the kind gesture.

While calling on other faith-based orgainsations in the state to emulate the InnerCity Mission of the Christ Embassy and its founder, Dr. Chris Oyahkilome, Mr. Lawal said the state has distributed relief materials to over 200,000 individuals in the state.

“We have been able to do this through the support of people and faith-based organisations like the InnerCity Mission, and we’re going to do more. We’re calling on all faith-based organisations in the state not to relent in their prayers and other support to the state at this critical moment,” he added.

In her own remark, the state’s commissioner for Women and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande described the gesture as a welcome development, imploring other organizations to emulate the gesture.

“Lagos state is indeed very delighted with the donation at these trying times in our global history, and we sincerely assure you it will get to those it is meant for,” she added.

The InnerCity Mission for Children is a fully registered non-governmental organization under the auspices of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International with a Consultative Status with the United Nations.

It was birthed as a vision of the world-renowned Pastor and Philanthropist, Rev. Dr. Chris Oyakhilome DSc DD to take action to meet the needs of indigent children and families. In his words, “The challenge of the poor is not just about their needs; we are equally meeting our own needs. It is in your interest to help the poor. We have a divine responsibility to God, to the Church and the society to reach children in our inner cities.”

For more than a decade, the InnerCity Mission has actively carried out various programs and initiatives that have impacted the lives of millions of needy children and families.

From reaching the indigent in one country, our reach and impact has spread to over 100 countries benefitting over 20 million people, mostly children. We remain at the forefront of providing relief to vulnerable children, underserved and hard-to-reach communities in times of crisis and one of our primary interventions is food support.