It has been more than one week since the #EndSARS protests spread from Twitter to the streets of Lagos, sparking protests that have swept across Nigeria. From Abuja to Jos, to Kaduna and Enugu, there have been protests in most of the major cities of the country.

Comfort was the last thing on anyone’s mind when the protests started, but in the last one week, organising logistics around food and drinks has come to the forefront of the protests. It all started when food vendor and event caterer, Mosopemi sought to raise funds towards feeding the over 50 protesters in Alausa on October 8.

With efforts from podcaster, Feyikemi Abudu, who shared this tweet the same day, Nigerians donated millions of Naira into what will completely transform the protests into a global movement.

Then, the Feminist Coalition stepped in to facilitate the backend of the protests by collecting cash donations and distributing them across Nigeria to different protest locations.

With this movement, young Nigerians are proving that they can call out the government on full stomachs with no scruples.

One major observation is that some foreign-owned upscale restaurants, primarily the Lebanese-owned ones, have been very quiet so far, despite the fact that their staff and customers might have experienced police brutality at some point in their lives.

On the other end of this spectrum is La Taverna, which, despite having roots in Latin America, has shown solidarity to the movement through food donations.

In the spirit of giving credit where it is due, we’ve listed some of the Nigerian-owned restaurants and food services contributing to the #EndSARS protests:

Distribution - The Food Coven

As the protests gained ground all over Lagos, Chef Obubu joined forces with like-minded individuals and vendors to form what would become The Food Coven. The coven organized food distribution across many protest spots in Nigeria.

Dessert and beverages

Quacktails

Beyond providing mocktails, Quacktails also provided buses for carrying donated items to the Lekki Toll protests.

Hans and Rene

Hans and Rene also came through with desserts served in custom ice cream cups designed with a nod to Nigerian heritage with a line from the national anthem, “the labour of our heroes shall never be in vain”.

The Ice Cream Factory

The Icecream Factory joined the fight because most of our team members are under the age of 30. Beyond frozen treats, protesters also received cold beverages from their staff.

YMaxx Cakes

In Abuja, Yasmeen Usman of Ymaxx Cakes also supplied boxes of cake loaves to attendees of the heartwrenching candlelight vigil that took place on October 16.

Bottle King

Although this establishment supplies alcoholic beverages like wine and beer, their contribution came in form of water and carbonated beverages for hydration.

Meals and snacks

El Padrino

El Padrino went a step further to continue to support the movement: for every bottle of juice bought at their stores, they will contribute one pack of juice to the protest.

Their stores will be closed on 17th October to fully participate in the protests. 

Dooney's Kitchen

Dooney’s “Protest Ofada” has been a household name since the protests started.

Kewa's Kitchen

Kewa’s Kitchen has contributed consistently to the protests at Lekki Toll Gate

Sooyah Bistro

Sooyah Bistro sent 200 burgers and shawarmas, and 200 sticks of Suya to protesters in Lekki and Ikeja.

HSE Gourmet

In addition to providing their staff with the choice to attend the protest, HSE Gourmet also contributed to the movement by donating cooked meals to protesters.

 Red Dish Chronicles

In Abuja, protesters have received warm meals thanks to Chef Stone’s culinary school, Red Dish Chronicles.

Chow Noodle Bar

On Twitter, the running theme about the food at the #EndSars protests is abundance. Chow Noodle Bar is one of the businesses who have contributed to that narrative with their food donations.

Others (Chefs and Miscellaneous)

Price Pally

Digital food cooperative Price Pally stepped up with a timely contribution of potatoes, rice, tomatoes, pepper and onions to Chef Obubu’s kitchen.

Chefs

Chefs like Chef Imoteda, The Lazy Chef and others have either cooked protest meals from their kitchens or helped wth food distribution towards other protest points across the country.