I eat once daily – Lagos ’empty pot’ protester

Kind-hearted Nigerians have started donating cash gifts to an unidentified female protester, who hit the streets of Lagos on Friday with an empty pot, lamenting the hunger in the land.

Shouting, “Ebi o! Ebi o! (Hunger o! Hunger o!)”, the woman, spotted on Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, asked the government to come to the aid of poor Nigerians and improve the economy.

The protest, part of a broader movement across Nigeria, attracted a large crowd voicing their dissatisfaction with government policies and economic conditions.

Convened by several groups, including the Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, and Revolution Now, the protesters are demanding a change in government policies and an end to hardship and corruption in governance.

The woman’s empty pot, a symbol of hunger and hardship, resonated with many protesters, who are struggling with inflation, unemployment, and economic instability.

The demonstration in Lagos was one of the many held nationwide, with citizens demanding better governance and accountability from the country’s leaders.

Speaking in a now-viral short video posted by Vanguard on X, the woman said she was an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State, but had lived in Lagos for over 50 years.

In another viral clip on X, the woman, speaking to an unnamed interviewer, said she could barely afford one meal a day.

Speaking in Yoruba, she said, “I can barely afford to eat once a day. The hunger has become too much. It is unbearable. My children are suffering. There is no money in my pocket. Does this government want to kill us? Overthinking wants to kill me. I can no longer survive. It is too much for me to bear. The government should come to my aid.”

Responding to her cry, several Nigerians offered her financial assistance.

Kicking off the donations was Afrobeat singer Oxlade, who promised to donate N500,000 to the woman.

Oxlade shared her photo on X (formerly Twitter) and announced his intention to give her N500,000.

Checks by our correspondent showed that the donations from several bodies and individuals have almost hit N3.2m as of 6:40 pm on Saturday.