The escalating level of hunger in Nigeria has seen an intervention from a white man who was sighted on Thursday distributing loaves of bread to hundreds of Lagosians who queued for the free staple.
According to a report by the Peoples Gazette, the Whiteman was seen handing out loaves of bread to hundreds of people standing in an orderly queue at 48 Asa-Afariogun Street, Ajao Estate in Lagos.
The white man had earlier in the day shared bibles to interested individuals prior to giving out the bread loaves.
He bought the loaves from Exclusive Bakery also in Ajao Estate and each cost N1200. When approached for comments, the Bakery did not disclose the total cost of loaves that the white man purchased but confirmed that hundreds of Lagosians benefited from his goodwill.
The development underscores the hard times hitting Nigerians across the country as Mr Tinubu’s administration grapples with historic inflation, unemployment, fuel crises, naira depreciation among other economic crises.
The country’s poverty ratings have hit rock bottom since Mr Tinubu assumed office more than a year ago and even though the Nigerian leader increased the minimum wage to N70,000 (about $42) after labour groups protested and embarked on strikes, its desired impact has been eroded by skyrocketing inflation.
The majority of private employers demurred to the new wage, citing high operating costs exacerbated by inflation and fuel crisis hindered them from raising staff wages. Hence, workers were still earning N30,000 (approximately $20) as minimum wage.
The owners of Exclusive Bakery appreciated the white man’s patronage, noting that they didn’t know his identity.
It was unclear whether the man is a Nigerian national or a foreigner on a Christian missionary project.
One of the queues seen on social media stretched 30 metres long and had dozens of Nigerians waiting their turns for a loaf of bread.
