Malnutrition: Remi Tinubu urges govs to establish food banks

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged state governors to establish functional community food banks across their three senatorial districts to strengthen food security and tackle malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerians.

She said the scale of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country requires stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments, stressing that interventions at the federal and zonal levels alone will not be sufficient to meet the needs of vulnerable populations.

The First Lady made the call during the presentation of food items to the wife of the Katsina State Governor, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda, for distribution to vulnerable persons under the Food Outreach Scheme of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

According to a statement issued on Friday by Kwapchi Bata Hamman, Special Assistant to the President on Media and ICT in the Office of the Vice-President in Abuja, Mrs Tinubu—who was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Nana Shettima—said the call for state-level community food banks follows the successful completion of the nationwide rollout of the National Community Food Bank Programme, which was designed to combat child malnutrition and support pregnant women and lactating mothers.

She urged governors to adopt the programme’s framework and establish functional food banks across their senatorial districts to extend nutritional support to more communities and ensure that vulnerable Nigerians have access to essential food supplies.

The Katsina food distribution marked the state’s emergence as the 30th beneficiary of the RHI Food Outreach Scheme, following distributions across 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Launched in March 2024 under the social investment programme of the Renewed Hope Initiative, the scheme provides food support to persons with disabilities, widows, and other vulnerable groups to ease their hardship and improve family well-being.

Mrs Tinubu disclosed that the intervention is being sustained through the support of two partners who provide two truckloads of food items monthly, enabling the initiative to support two states every month.

She noted that stronger cooperation between both tiers of government will help expand the reach of food assistance programmes and bolster efforts to address nutritional challenges affecting vulnerable households.

The Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, described the intervention as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians, adding that it complements his administration’s efforts to improve the well-being of residents.

Radda said his administration, in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is investing in education, healthcare, and agriculture to build a future in which citizens can live with dignity.

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He also stated that the state government has stepped up efforts to improve security by providing security agencies with equipment to strengthen their operations.

The governor urged residents to support the ruling party in the next election, arguing that continuity in governance will sustain development efforts.

In her remarks, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda expressed appreciation to the First Lady for the intervention, noting that the Renewed Hope Initiative has continued to support women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups through its social intervention programmes.

Osun, Ogun, and Akwa Ibom states are expected to be the next beneficiaries of the food distribution scheme.