Nigeria’s First Lady and National Chairperson of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged governors across the country to replicate the Community Food Bank Programme as a sustainable solution to food insecurity, describing it as a practical intervention to improve access to nutritious food for vulnerable households, especially children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Senator Tinubu made the call on Saturday during a one-day working visit to Kogi State, where she commissioned major government projects, officially launched the Community Food Bank for the North Central zone and flagged off an empowerment programme for 500 women under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The First Lady was received in Lokoja by Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; his wife and Kogi State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo; governors from the North Central zone, senior government officials, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
During the visit, Senator Tinubu also commissioned the newly completed Treasury and Pension Commission Office named after her and the office of the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency (KSHIA)
She described the Community Food Bank as a deliberate and sustainable response to food insecurity in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to her, the initiative is designed to ensure that vulnerable families have access to nutritious food while improving the health and well-being of children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
She urged stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of the programme reach the intended beneficiaries.
Senator Tinubu commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his commitment to the welfare of the people and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the projects commissioned during her visit.
She also praised the First Lady of Kogi State, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, for her sustained investment in the welfare and empowerment of women, describing her interventions as impactful and worthy of emulation.
In his address, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo thanked Senator Tinubu for choosing Kogi State to host the official launch of the Community Food Bank in the North Central zone, describing the programme as a strategic intervention that will provide relief for poor and vulnerable households, particularly pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.
The governor assured the First Lady of his administration’s commitment to sustaining the programme and ensuring its long-term success across the state.
Governor Ododo also highlighted the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in Kogi State, citing the Ajaokuta Special Agro-Processing Zone, the Free Trade Zone, renewed efforts to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, the ongoing Abuja-Lokoja-Okene-Auchi-Benin road project and increased federal investments in security, infrastructure, healthcare and economic development.
He said the Federal Government’s interventions under President Tinubu have strengthened Kogi’s capacity to drive inclusive growth and contribute meaningfully to the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The governor disclosed that his administration has upgraded over 200 primary healthcare centres with modern medical facilities to improve healthcare delivery and reduce maternal and infant mortality across the state.
On inclusion of women in governance, Governor Ododo disclosed that women continue to occupy strategic positions in his administration because sustainable development is best achieved when women are empowered to contribute their talents and leadership skills to governance and economic development.
Governor Ododo also commended President Tinubu for taking bold decisions to reform the nation’s economy and congratulated the President on the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
He described the operation as evidence of the Federal Government’s zero-tolerance to negotiation with criminals, reaffirming that Kogi State has adopted similar approach to security, insisting that his administration will continue to intensify operations against criminal elements rather than negotiate with them.
Highlight of the event is the presentation of a 100 million naira cheque by Senator Oluremi Tinubu to the firstlady of Kogi State, Hajiya Sefinat Ododo as business grants for 2000 petty traders in the state.
