The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday launched the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank in Ogun State, calling on governors in the region to establish similar facilities to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition.
The initiative, which is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to support vulnerable Nigerians, is targeted mainly at children under six years, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Speaking at the launch held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Mrs Tinubu said the programme was designed to ensure that vulnerable families had regular access to nutritious food.
She urged state governments across the South-West to partner with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to establish community food banks in their states.
According to her, the partnership would help ensure the steady supply of food items while providing the operational support needed to keep the facilities running.
The First Lady described the National Community Food Bank Programme as a deliberate and sustainable response to the growing challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households.
She said the programme was designed not only to provide immediate food support but also to give children a healthy foundation for growth and development.
Mrs Tinubu expressed optimism that the initiative would be sustained and expanded, stressing that its ultimate goal was to ensure that every Nigerian child received adequate nutrition.
She said the programme was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly its focus on food security, healthcare, social protection and human capital development.
The First Lady also explained the difference between a food bank and a food hub.
She said while food hubs could have broader functions, the food bank was specifically established to provide free food support to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.
She therefore called on state governments to take ownership of the facilities and ensure that they remained functional after their establishment.
Mrs Tinubu said the Federal Government’s vision went beyond the creation of the initial food banks, stressing that the programme would have a greater impact if state governments replicated it across their communities.
She also advocated the location of food banks close to Primary Healthcare Centres to make them easily accessible to vulnerable families.
The First Lady said placing the facilities near health centres would also make it easier for health workers and government agencies to identify families and individuals who required assistance.
The chief host, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, said the launch reflected the shared commitment of the Federal Government and the state government to improving the welfare of citizens.
Abiodun said the programme was consistent with the state’s development agenda and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said should translate government policies into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
The governor said his administration’s Building Our Future Together agenda was based on the belief that government must create conditions where citizens could live with dignity, access basic services and pursue their legitimate aspirations.
He said economic growth would have little meaning if the basic needs of citizens remained unmet.
According to him, the real measure of government was not simply the number of projects commissioned but the number of lives transformed through such projects.
“The hospitals become useful when they save lives; the houses fulfil their purpose when they shelter families,” he said.
Abiodun said locating food banks within Primary Healthcare Centres would also help government identify vulnerable households and provide support to children at risk of malnutrition, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
He said such an arrangement would ensure that food assistance reached the people who needed it most.
The governor also highlighted other projects commissioned during the First Lady’s visit, including the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence.
He described the projects as part of efforts to improve housing, healthcare and the general welfare of residents.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the National Community Food Bank Programme would serve a purpose beyond food distribution.
He said the programme would create a stronger connection between farmers and consumers while helping to strengthen food production and distribution.
Kyari recalled that President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on food security, stressing that the issue had been placed at the centre of the administration’s development plans.
The minister said the food bank programme was therefore part of a broader strategy to improve food security and protect vulnerable families.
He said structured procurement and distribution under the programme could also provide a reliable market for farmers and help strengthen agricultural production.
“A food bank that hands out food solves a meal. A food bank tied to a farm solves a season,” Kyari said.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, described the programme as an important platform for addressing health problems linked to food insecurity.
He said poor nutrition could have serious effects on the growth and development of children, as well as the health of pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Pate commended the Federal Government for establishing the programme and urged governors in the South-West to support and expand it in their respective states.
In a technical presentation, the Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, said the agency would work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen food production and ensure that nutritious food was available to Nigerians.
Aina said the programme was targeted at pregnant women and children between six months and six years of age.
He added that the initiative would be domiciled within the country’s 13,500 Primary Healthcare Centres.
The plan, he said, would make it easier to connect food support with existing healthcare services and identify vulnerable people who require assistance.
Also speaking, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Aremu Gbadebo, commended Mrs Tinubu for ensuring that Ogun State benefited from the programme.
He said the initiative had the potential to provide significant relief to vulnerable people and improve the welfare of families facing food shortages.
The launch comes amid continuing concerns over food prices and the ability of many Nigerian households to afford adequate and nutritious meals.
Food insecurity has remained a major concern in Nigeria, with rising food costs putting pressure on household incomes and making it difficult for many families to maintain a healthy diet.
Children, pregnant women and nursing mothers are particularly vulnerable because inadequate nutrition during these stages can affect growth, health and development.
The National Community Food Bank Programme is therefore expected to complement existing government efforts in agriculture, healthcare and social protection by providing direct food assistance to vulnerable groups.
Mrs Tinubu’s visit to Ogun also featured the commissioning of the National Community Food Bank at Makun, Sagamu, alongside the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence.
The First Lady urged stakeholders, particularly state governments, to work together to ensure that the food bank initiative delivers lasting benefits to Nigerians.
She said the success of the program would depend largely on sustained ownership, proper coordination and a commitment to ensuring that vulnerable citizens remained at the centre of government interventions.