Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the president’s wife, launched the National Community Food Bank Program on Thursday, realizing almost N65 billion in efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition across the country.
The First Lady emphasized that child malnutrition is still a major national concern while speaking at the Community Food Bank Trust Fund’s fundraising event and Board of Trustees inauguration in Abuja.
She also mentioned that millions of Nigerian children still do not have access to sufficient nourishment. “Child malnutrition in Nigeria remains a pressing national priority, with millions of children in need of consistent access to the nourishment required for healthy growth and development,” she stated. Their health, development, potential, and future are all impacted by our daily inaction.
Therefore, resolving this issue is crucial to ensuring the future of our country. Mrs. Tinubu, who personally contributed N500 million, saw the program as a long-term solution that complemented President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We developed the Community Food Bank Program as a long-term solution to strengthen community-based nutrition systems, restore hope where it is most needed, and provide wholesome food within the reach of vulnerable children under six.” She also mentioned that the program, which is being carried out in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, would act as a link between communities in need and food surplus.
“Our objective is to establish a robust and efficient food bank system in Nigeria that is capable of reaching communities and households throughout the nation, supported by a well-organized trust fund, and governed transparently,” she said. Noting that even modest gifts would have an impact, the First Lady praised early contributors and urged further involvement.
One Naira is not little for a mother; it all adds up. The powerful ocean is made up of a little drop of water and a grain of sand. “Food insecurity among vulnerable households, especially children under six, is directly addressed by this initiative. A Nigeria where no child goes to bed hungry is a sign of success.
He said that President Tinubu had authorized a N17 billion intervention through the Social Action Fund to support the project, and that the program will make use of Nigeria’s primary healthcare network for distribution across the country. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the move signifies a change “from sympathy to structure,” noting concerning data indicating that approximately 12 million Nigerian children under five suffer from stunting.
He emphasized the necessity of effective food delivery systems by stating, “The question, therefore, is not only about production, but connection.” In providing the program’s operating specifics, Ayodeji Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, stated that the fund would be administered in accordance with stringent transparency procedures, such as multi-signatory approvals, independent audits, and real-time reporting.
