Food outreach: Tinubu’s wife extends support to Osun, names next beneficiary states

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has extended the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) food outreach scheme to Osun State, with Ogun and Akwa Ibom states named as the next beneficiaries of the programme targeting vulnerable Nigerians.

The initiative, which provides food items to persons with disabilities, widows and other vulnerable groups, was launched in March 2024 to provide nutritional support to disadvantaged citizens and improve the welfare of families across the country.

The First Lady, represented at the presentation in Osun by the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, formally handed over the food items to the wife of the Osun State Governor and state coordinator of the RHI, Mrs Titilola Adeleke, for distribution to beneficiaries.

Tinubu said the scheme was designed to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by ensuring that vulnerable citizens received support regardless of their circumstances.

According to her, the programme had been sustained through the support of two partners who provide two truckloads of food items to the initiative monthly, enabling it to extend assistance to two states every month.

The partners are the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and an anonymous donor, whose contribution supplied all the food items presented to Osun State.

“This particular supply we are distributing today in Osun is entirely from our anonymous donor,” the First Lady said, while expressing appreciation to both partners for their continued support.

“I thank both partners for their deep generosity and sustained commitment to supporting vulnerable populations in Nigeria,” she added.

With the inclusion of Osun, the food outreach scheme has now covered 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory, bringing the total number of beneficiary states to 31.

Tinubu also disclosed that Ogun and Akwa Ibom would be the next states to benefit from the programme, signalling plans to extend the intervention to more vulnerable households.

She commended Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, for the reception accorded the delegation and praised the governor’s wife for her commitment to implementing the initiative’s programmes in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Teslim Igbalaye, described food intervention as a humanitarian measure that could help address the needs of disadvantaged citizens.

He said the food bank concept and other support systems were worth adopting at all levels of government to strengthen assistance for vulnerable populations.

Igbalaye added that the food outreach scheme complemented other programmes introduced by the First Lady since 2023 and assured the delegation that the Osun State Government would support efforts to sustain the initiative.

In her welcome remarks, Mrs Adeleke said the programme had added another chapter to the history of Osun State, expressing gratitude to the First Lady for extending the intervention to the state.

She said other RHI programmes had supported vulnerable older persons, petty traders, agriculture and food security, education and healthcare in Osun.

The food outreach scheme is part of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s broader social intervention efforts aimed at promoting inclusion and providing humanitarian assistance to Nigerians facing economic and social challenges.