Oluremi Tinubu tasks S’West govs on community food banks

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has called on governors in Nigeria's South-West region to actively lead and establish community food banks within their states. Speaking at the zonal launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Abeokuta, Ogun State, she stressed the importance of integrating these facilities near primary healthcare centers.

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I’ve done my bit; I’ll be completing the zonal food bank inauguration very soon. You can see that we are doing it in record time.

The program, a collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Bank of Agriculture, targets food insecurity and malnutrition. It aims to provide nutritious food to vulnerable populations, including children under six, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. Three food banks were launched simultaneously in Sagamu, Yewa North, and Abeokuta South as part of the South-West rollout.

Tinubu highlighted that the program's success and long-term viability hinge on the commitment of the state governors. While her role is to spearhead sensitization efforts, she stated that the governors, in partnership with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, and other stakeholders, are responsible for ensuring the program's objectives are met. She expressed a desire for the initiative to continue beyond President Tinubu's tenure, aiming for sustained nourishment for all children.

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The state governors are supposed to take ownership of all these facilities. It’s not just that we want to build just three food banks; we want a food bank very close to each primary healthcare centre. I am saying this so that they can do the needful.

Clarifying the program's nature, the First Lady distinguished community food banks from conventional food hubs. These facilities are specifically designed to offer free nutritional support and related interventions to disadvantaged individuals. She urged governors to "do the needful" in establishing these banks, emphasizing that the goal is to have a food bank close to every primary healthcare center to ensure continuous support for those in need.

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A food bank is not a food hub, you know, like most people. Ogun State has one too. But it’s a food bank meant for those who are disadvantaged, and every treatment and everything don