The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the South-West component of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Ogun State to improve access to nutritious food for vulnerable households.
The initiative targets children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers through community food banks linked to primary healthcare centres.
Mrs Tinubu urged South-West Governors to take ownership of the programme and work with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to sustain it beyond the current administration.
“We don’t expect this initiative to stop after Mr President’s tenure in office; we want it to be a continuous thing until every child is well-nourished,” she said.
Child malnutrition
The wife of President Tinubu also called for stronger state participation in tackling child malnutrition, saying “nutrition support should not rest on the Nigerian Government alone.”
The First Lady said the programme, launched in Abuja in April 2026, is expanding nationwide, with the South-West joining earlier rollouts in other geopolitical zones.
She clarified that “community food banks are designed to provide free assistance to vulnerable people based on identified needs, unlike food hubs.”
The South-West rollout includes three food banks in Ogun State: Sagamu, Yewa North and Abeokuta South.
The First lady said; “the initiative will also be extended to the South-South and South-East.”
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun said the programme would provide immediate relief for vulnerable residents while supporting local farmers and the agricultural value chain.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the programme aims to reach 500,000 households in its first year through collaboration between the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Bank of Agriculture.
During her visit, Tinubu also commissioned the 250-bed Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence and the President Muhammadu Buhari Housing Estate in Abeokuta.
