Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday launched the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank in Ogun State, calling on governments across the region to establish similar facilities to help tackle food insecurity and malnutrition.
Speaking at the launch at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Senator Tinubu said the initiative was designed to provide vulnerable Nigerians, particularly children, pregnant women and nursing mothers, with regular access to nutritious food.
She urged South-West governors to establish community food banks in their respective states in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). According to her, the partnership would support the supply of food items while providing the operational framework required to sustain the programme.
The First Lady described the National Community Food Bank Programme as a deliberate and sustainable intervention aimed at addressing food insecurity among vulnerable households. She noted that the programme would particularly focus on children below six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the programme would be sustained, stressing that its ultimate goal was to ensure that Nigerian children receive adequate nutrition and have a healthy foundation for their future.
She said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the areas of food security, healthcare, social protection and human capital development.
The First Lady also commended Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for his administration’s efforts towards improving the welfare of residents. She cited the newly commissioned Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence and the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate as examples of projects aimed at improving citizens’ lives.
She explained that a food bank differs from a food hub, noting that the former is specifically targeted at disadvantaged and vulnerable people and provides assistance free of charge.
Tinubu stressed that state governments were expected to take ownership of the facilities, adding that the Federal Government’s plan went beyond establishing the initial food banks.
She also recommended that the facilities be located close to Primary Healthcare Centres to make them more accessible to vulnerable households.
In his remarks, Governor Abiodun said the programme reflected the shared commitment of the Federal Government and Ogun State to building a more prosperous and inclusive society.
The governor said projects such as the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence reflected the Renewed Hope Agenda by translating government policies into tangible benefits in areas including housing, healthcare, nutrition, social protection and human capital development.
Abiodun said his administration’s Building Our Future Together agenda was based on the belief that government should create an environment where citizens can live with dignity, access essential services, pursue legitimate ambitions and have confidence in the future.
He argued that economic development loses its value when growth increases while citizens continue to struggle to meet basic needs.
According to him, the impact of government should be measured not only by the number of projects completed but by the number of lives improved through such interventions.
“The hospitals become useful when they save lives; the houses fulfil their purpose when they shelter families,” he said.
Abiodun further said placing food banks within Primary Healthcare Centres would help government identify vulnerable households, support children at risk of malnutrition and provide assistance to pregnant women and nursing mothers.
In a goodwill message, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the National Community Food Bank Programme would serve not only as a source of food for vulnerable Nigerians but also as a means of creating a stronger connection between farmers and consumers.
He said the programme demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to addressing food insecurity while preserving the dignity of vulnerable families.
Kyari noted that food security had become a major priority of the administration, recalling President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security.
He added that the Community Food Bank Programme would go beyond food distribution by supporting agricultural production through organised procurement and distribution.
“A food bank that hands out food solves a meal. A food bank tied to a farm solves a season,” he said.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the programme as an important platform for addressing health challenges associated with inadequate nutrition.
Pate commended the Federal Government for introducing the initiative and called on South-West governors to support and expand the programme in their states.
In a technical presentation, the Executive Secretary of the NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina, said the agency would work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen food production and improve access to nutritious food.
Aina explained that the programme targets pregnant women and children between six months and six years old and would operate through the country’s 13,500 Primary Healthcare Centres.
Also speaking, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Aremu Gbadebo, described the initiative as one capable of providing meaningful support to vulnerable members of society.
He commended the First Lady for ensuring that Ogun State was included in the programme.
The First Lady’s visit also included the commissioning of the National Community Food Bank in Makun, Sagamu, as well as the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence in Ogun State.
