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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu expands food banks to primary healthcare centers

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Nigeria's First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, announced plans to expand the National Food Bank Programme to primary healthcare centers across the country.
  • The initiative aims to tackle child malnutrition by providing nutritional support and medical care to malnourished children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
  • State governors' wives are urged to take personal responsibility for addressing child malnutrition and establishing more food banks in their regions.

Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is spearheading an expansion of the Renewed Hope Initiative's National Food Bank Programme. The program will now link food banks to primary healthcare centers across the country's six geopolitical zones, aiming to combat child malnutrition.

Our children are not supposed to be going hungry.

— Oluremi TinubuDuring a meeting with wives of state governors, the First Lady emphasized the importance of ensuring children receive adequate care.

Tinubu announced the plan on Wednesday during a meeting with wives of state governors in Abuja. She emphasized that no Nigerian child should go hungry and urged the governors' wives to take personal responsibility for addressing malnutrition in their states. "No matter what, when you see a child that is malnourished in your state, you have to take them and make sure that they are properly cared for," she stated.

No matter what, when you see a child that is malnourished in your state, you have to take them and make sure that they are properly cared for.

— Oluremi TinubuThe First Lady urged governors' wives to take personal responsibility for addressing child malnutrition.

The National Food Bank Programme, initially launched in Abuja on February 17, 2026, has already seen rollouts in the North-East and is set to expand to the North-West and South-West. Locating food banks next to primary healthcare centers is a strategic move to ensure vulnerable families can easily access both nutritional supplements and medical care. Pregnant women and nursing mothers will also receive support through the program.

These food banks are built next to the primary healthcare centres so that the ones who need supplements can get their supplements.

— Oluremi TinubuExplaining the strategic placement of the food banks.

The initiative is a collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Dangote Group, and the National Population Commission. Tinubu called for increased public support and donations, noting that the program's sustainability relies on funding beyond government sources. She highlighted that the food bank program is part of a broader social investment agenda under the Renewed Hope Initiative, which also includes education, scholarships, economic empowerment, and environmental campaigns.

Lactating mothers and pregnant women too will be given food items from the food bank.

— Oluremi TinubuDetailing the support provided to vulnerable mothers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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