First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has charged governors in the South-West to take ownership of the National Community Food Bank Programme and establish food banks close to primary healthcare centres across their states. Mrs Tinubu made the call on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the South-West zonal launch of the programme, where three community food banks were inaugurated in Sagamu, Yewa North and Abeokuta South. She said the Federal Government’s intervention was designed to provide a national framework for tackling food insecurity and malnutrition, but stressed that its success would depend largely on the commitment and ownership of state governments. “Our vision is not to build only three food banks. We want to see a food bank located as close as possible to every primary healthcare centre, so that vulnerable families can access the support they need,” she said. The First Lady said the initiative was specifically targeted at vulnerable households, particularly children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers, who require adequate nutrition for healthy growth and development. She urged South-West governors to work with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to establish and sustain community food banks, noting that the facilities should be integrated into the primary healthcare system. Mrs Tinubu said the programme, formally launched in Abuja in April 2026, was a deliberate and sustainable response to Nigeria’s nutrition challenges and part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. She explained that the South-West roll-out covered Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states, following earlier launches in other geopolitical zones. According to her, the Federal Government did not intend for the programme to replace the responsibilities of state governments, but rather to catalyse action and provide a framework that states could build upon. “If, as a nation, we continue to hear reports of children suffering from kwashiorkor and other forms of severe malnutrition, we must recognise that this cannot be addressed by the Federal Government alone. State governors are expected to take ownership of these facilities,” she said. She also called on the governors to provide the operational support required to keep the food banks functional and sustainable, insisting that the initiative should outlive the current administration. Tinubu clarified that community food banks should not be confused with food hubs, explaining that while food hubs could support wider agricultural and food-distribution activities, food banks were specifically intended to provide free assistance to disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NPHCDA and the Bank of Agriculture. Speaking at the event, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, pledged the state’s continued partnership with the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Initiative in supporting vulnerable residents.
Credit to our Media Partner DailyTrust .
