First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, said Wednesday that children should not be allowed to go hungry, unveiling steps by her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), to expand a nationwide network of food banks and nutrition services for vulnerable families.
Speaking at a gathering of Governors’ wives at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu described the programme as a grassroots effort to combat child malnutrition and provide support for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
According to Busola Kukoyi
Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, the initiative, she said, locates new food banks adjacent to primary-health-care centers so families can receive nutrition support alongside medical care.
“We have to make sure a child who is malnourished in your state is properly cared for,” she said.
“Our children are not supposed to be going hungry.”
The First Lady outlined a rollout schedule that follows the formal inauguration of the National Food Bank Program in Abuja on February 17 and a subsequent launch for the North-East zone on April 27.
She said additional launches will target the North-Central and South-West geopolitical zones next.
The Renewed Hope Initiative, created to help states scale social-investment programs, will rely on donor and partner support to build and sustain the food banks, Mrs. Tinubu said.
She named the Bank of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Health and social welfare, the Dangote Group and the National Population Commission among the partners lending support.
“What we have done so far is to come up with the strategy,” she said.
“It is now left for the first ladies to take it upon themselves and make sure that the states have more food banks.”
The expansion is part of a broader RHI agenda that includes education, scholarships, economic empowerment and environmental campaigns, the First Lady said.
She described the work as long-term social investment intended to leave “lasting legacies” that will benefit future generations.
After the session, Mrs. Tinubu told State House correspondents that she and the Governors’ wives play a supporting role in the nationwide effort.
“I am the housewife here and I’m only playing complimentary roles and supportive roles,” she said, adding that RHI’s purpose is to help states multiply resources and translate them into tangible benefits.
The First Lady also defended the administration’s economic policies, including removal of fuel subsidies, calling difficult reforms necessary to reshape how Nigerians approach work, enterprise and public services. She urged young people to use digital application platforms at ministries and agencies and to pursue opportunities in small and medium-size enterprises.
Highlighting gains in agriculture and social investment since RHI’s inception three years ago, Mrs. Tinubu said the program has reached tens of thousands of beneficiaries across states through grants and support.
She used the platform to encourage Nigerians to value local culture and food products as part of broader food-security efforts.
The First Lady also renewed a call for additional donations to the National Food Bank Drive, which is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
