First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has launched the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank in Ogun State, calling on governors in the region to replicate the initiative to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition.
The First Lady made the call on Tuesday at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, where she said the programme was designed to provide sustained access to nutritious food for vulnerable groups, particularly children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
She urged South-West governors to partner with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to establish local food banks, secure food supplies and provide long-term support for their operations.
According to her, the National Community Food Bank Programme represents a deliberate and sustainable response to food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households, with children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers as key beneficiaries.
Senator Tinubu expressed optimism that the programme would be sustained nationwide, saying its ultimate objective was to ensure that Nigerian children receive adequate nutrition and a healthy foundation for the future.
She said the initiative was aligned 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 commended Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for his commitment to the welfare of residents, citing the newly commissioned Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence and the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate as examples of projects aimed at improving citizens’ lives.
She also explained that a food bank differs from a food hub, noting that food banks are specifically intended to provide free services to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.
Senator Tinubu said state governments were expected to take ownership of the facilities, while advocating that food banks be located close to Primary Healthcare Centres to make them more accessible to vulnerable families.
Speaking at the event, Governor Abiodun said the programme reflected the shared vision of the Federal Government and Ogun State to build a more prosperous and inclusive society.
He said the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence were consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda because they translated government policies into tangible improvements in housing, healthcare, nutrition, social protection and human capital development.
Abiodun said the philosophy behind his administration’s Building Our Future Together agenda was based on creating an environment where citizens could live with dignity, access essential services and pursue their legitimate aspirations.
He stressed that the success of government should be measured not only by the number of projects commissioned but also by the number of lives transformed.
“The hospitals become useful when they save lives; the houses fulfil their purpose when they shelter families,” he said.
The governor also said locating 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.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the National Community Food Bank Programme would not only provide food to vulnerable Nigerians but also establish a sustainable link between farmers and consumers.
Kyari said the initiative reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling food insecurity while protecting the dignity of vulnerable families.
He noted that the programme goes beyond food distribution, as it is also designed to strengthen agricultural production through structured 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 food insecurity.
He urged governors across the South-West to support and expand the initiative to ensure that its objectives are achieved.
The Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, said the agency would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to strengthen food production and ensure the availability of nutritious food.
Aina said the programme targets pregnant women and children between six months and six years of age and would be domiciled within the country’s 13,500 Primary Healthcare Centres.
Also speaking, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Aremu Gbadebo, commended the First Lady for ensuring that Ogun State benefited from the initiative.
The First Lady’s visit also featured the commissioning of the National Community Food Bank at Makun, Sagamu, the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence in Ogun State.
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