Oluremi Tinubu Flags Off Community Food Bank in Ogun, Commissions PMB Estate, Gateway Medical Centre
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the South-West Zonal National Community Food Bank in Ogun State, calling on Governments across the region to replicate the initiative as part of concerted efforts to tackle food insecurity, malnutrition and vulnerability among Nigerian families.
The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, where the First Lady explained that the National Community Food Bank Programme was designed to guarantee sustained access to nutritious food for vulnerable Nigerians, particularly children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Global Mirror News reports that Senator Tinubu urged South-West governors to establish community food banks in their respective states in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), noting that such collaboration would facilitate the supply of food items while providing the operational framework required for the sustainability of the programme.
According to her, the programme represents a deliberate and sustainable intervention aimed at addressing food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households, with particular attention to children below six years, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would be sustained and expanded, stressing that its ultimate objective was to ensure that Nigerian children receive adequate nutrition and the healthy foundation required for their future development.
Senator Tinubu said the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, especially its priorities on food security, healthcare delivery, social protection and human capital development.
She commended Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his commitment to improving the welfare and living conditions of residents, citing the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the newly commissioned Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence as examples of projects with direct impact on citizens.
The First Lady also explained the difference between a food bank and a food hub, stressing that the community food bank was specifically established to provide free support to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.
She called on state Governments to take ownership of the facilities, explaining that the Federal Government’s vision was not limited to establishing the initial food banks but to creating a sustainable system capable of reaching vulnerable communities.
Senator Tinubu further advocated the location of food banks close to Primary Healthcare Centres to ensure that vulnerable families could access nutritional support conveniently while also enabling health workers to identify people most in need.
Abiodun: Projects Must Transform Lives
Speaking as chief host, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the launch demonstrated the shared vision and common purpose of the Federal Government and Ogun State Government to build a prosperous, inclusive and people-centred Nigeria.
The Governor said the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence were consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which, according to him, should not be viewed merely as a collection of government policies but as a framework for translating public policy into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Global Mirror News gathered that Governor Abiodun listed housing, healthcare, nutrition, social protection and human capital development among areas where government interventions must produce measurable benefits for citizens.
He said the philosophy behind his administration’s Building Our Future Together agenda was based on the belief that government should create an environment where citizens could live with dignity, access essential services, pursue legitimate aspirations and look towards the future with confidence.
Abiodun maintained that economic development would lose its moral value if economic growth increased while citizens continued to struggle with their basic needs.
According to him, the effectiveness of government should not be measured solely by the number of projects commissioned, but by the number of lives positively transformed through such interventions.
«“The hospitals become useful when they save lives; the houses fulfil their purpose when they shelter families,” the governor said.»
He also expressed support for locating community food banks within Primary Healthcare Centres, noting that such an arrangement would enable government to identify vulnerable households, support children facing malnutrition, assist pregnant women and nursing mothers and ensure that interventions reached their intended beneficiaries.
Food Banks to Link Farmers With Consumers — Kyari
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the National Community Food Bank Programme was designed not only to provide immediate food assistance but also to establish a sustainable connection between farmers and consumers.
Kyari said the programme reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to confronting food insecurity while ensuring that vulnerable Nigerians received assistance in a manner that preserved their dignity.
He recalled that President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on food security and placed the issue at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Minister explained that the significance of the food bank initiative extended beyond the distribution of food items, as structured procurement and distribution could also strengthen agricultural production and create a reliable market for farmers.
«“A food bank that hands out food solves a meal. A food bank tied to a farm solves a season,” Kyari said.»
Pate, Aina Back Programme
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, described the National Community Food Bank Programme as a critical intervention for addressing health challenges associated with food insecurity.
Pate said adequate nutrition was essential to preventing health complications, particularly among children and women, and urged governors across the South-West to key into the initiative and expand its reach.
Also speaking, 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, procurement and distribution while ensuring that nutritious food remained available to vulnerable Nigerians.
Aina disclosed that the programme targets pregnant women and children from six months to six years of age and would be domiciled within the country’s estimated 13,500 Primary Healthcare Centres.
Alake Commends First Lady
The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Aremu Gbadebo, commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for ensuring that Ogun State benefited from the National Community Food Bank Programme.
The traditional ruler said the initiative had the potential to provide meaningful relief to vulnerable members of society, particularly families struggling to meet their nutritional needs.
Global Mirror News reports that the First Lady’s visit to Ogun State also featured the commissioning of the National Community Food Bank at Makun, Sagamu, as well as the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence.
The series of events brought together representatives of the Federal and Ogun State governments, traditional institutions and other stakeholders, highlighting a multi-sectoral approach to food security, healthcare, housing and social protection.
The First Lady’s call for the South-West states to replicate the community food bank model is expected to further strengthen coordinated efforts to ensure that vulnerable Nigerians have access to essential nutrition and basic social support.
