The wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank in Ogun State, urging governors across the region to replicate the initiative as part of collective efforts to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
Speaking on Tuesday at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta, Senator Tinubu flagged off the programme designed to provide sustained access to nutritious food for vulnerable citizens, particularly pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under six years of age.
She urged South-West governors to establish community food banks in their respective states in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, noting that such partnerships would facilitate the steady supply of food items while providing the operational structure needed to sustain the initiative.
According to the First Lady, the National Community Food Bank Programme represents a deliberate and sustainable response to food insecurity and malnutrition, with special attention given to children under six years old, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
She expressed optimism that the programme would be sustained across the federation, stressing that its core objective is to ensure every Nigerian child receives adequate nutrition and a healthy foundation for the future.
Senator Tinubu noted that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly the administration's focus on food security, social protection, improved healthcare, and human capital development.
She commended the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his commitment to improving the welfare and living conditions of the people, pointing to the newly commissioned President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence as projects with direct benefits for citizens.
The First Lady also clarified that a community food bank is distinct from a commercial food hub, emphasizing that it was established specifically to provide free food assistance to indigent and vulnerable members of society. She called on state governments to take ownership of the facilities, adding that the vision of the Federal Government goes beyond establishing the initial food banks.
She further advocated locating food banks close to Primary Healthcare Centres to enable easy access for vulnerable households and assist the government in identifying individuals requiring nutritional support.
In his address, Governor Dapo Abiodun described the launch as clear evidence of the shared vision and common purpose of the Federal Government and Ogun State in building an inclusive, prosperous, and people-centred society.
Governor Abiodun stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence reflect the philosophy of the Renewed Hope Agenda by translating government policies into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens across housing, healthcare, nutrition, and social welfare.
The governor noted that his administration's Building Our Future Together agenda is founded on the conviction that government must create an environment where citizens can live with dignity, access basic services, and look towards the future with confidence. He maintained that economic development loses its moral value if growth figures increase while the essential needs of the people remain unmet.
Governor Abiodun said, “The hospitals become useful when they save lives; the houses fulfil their purpose when they shelter families,”.
He welcomed the plan to establish food banks within Primary Healthcare Centres, stating that the arrangement will help authorities identify vulnerable families, support children at risk of malnutrition, assist pregnant women and nursing mothers, and ensure that interventions reach those in greatest need.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated that the National Community Food Bank Programme will go beyond routine food distribution by establishing a direct and sustainable link between farmers and consumers while preserving the dignity of vulnerable households.
Senator Kyari noted that food security is no longer treated as a routine sectoral issue, recalling President Tinubu's declaration of a state of emergency on food security and its prioritization under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He added that the initiative is designed to strengthen agricultural production through structured procurement and distribution channels.
Kyari said, “A food bank that hands out food solves a meal. A food bank tied to a farm solves a season,”.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the programme as an important platform for addressing the health challenges associated with malnutrition and ensuring that no child or woman is left without food, urging regional governors to adopt and expand the model.
In a technical presentation, the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, stated that the agency will work with relevant stakeholders to boost food production and ensure the availability of nutritious meals for citizens. He disclosed that the intervention targets pregnant women and children between six months and six years of age and will be hosted within the country's 13,500 Primary Healthcare Centres.
Also speaking at the event, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Aremu Gbadebo, described the initiative as a crucial intervention capable of providing succour to vulnerable citizens, commending the First Lady for ensuring Ogun State benefited from the project.
The First Lady's visit also featured the official commissioning of the National Community Food Bank at Makun in Sagamu, the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate, and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence in Ogun State.
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