By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of the Nigerian First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has unveiled the Flow With Confidence Program to schoolgirls in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The program, a vital menstrual health intervention targeted at 370,000 beneficiaries across some states in the country, is designed to empower schoolgirls with knowledge, build confidence, and promote improved menstrual hygiene. 

This is as many vulnerable women, mostly those affected by the over a decade Boko Haram crisis also received food items donated by the First Lady.

The occasion which took place at Multi Purpose Hall, Government House, Maiduguri yesterday attracted thousands of beneficiaries. 

According Kwapchi Bata Hamman, Special Assistant to the President, Media and ICT in a press statement on Friday explained that the launch simultaneously took place in seven states – Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos, in which, each beneficiary was presented with a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.

“The initiative targets 370,000 beneficiaries, mostly from rural communities who struggle to access hygienic care while in school.

“Launched simultaneously in seven states – Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos – by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the program provides each beneficiary with a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads”.

At the official launch in Maiduguri, the First Lady who was represented by the Wife of the Vice- President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, stressed that it is unacceptable for young girls to face significant challenges during their menstrual cycle, often forcing them to miss school days because they cannot afford sanitary pads.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that “many girls resort to unhygienic alternatives, hence the introduction of Flow With Confidence as a safe, hygienic option to enhance reproductive wellbeing. Each state under the initiative will have 10,000 beneficiaries”.

Encouraging the girls, the First Lady urged them not to allow shame or stigma to affect their confidence but to boldly pursue their dreams as future leaders of the nation. 

She further called on corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals to support the program, while charging traditional, religious, and community leaders to ensure transparent distribution in their localities.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, expressed the government’s profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose leadership continues to rekindle hope and restore dignity to countless families by prioritizing economic empowerment as a driver of national development.

The Governor also commended the First Lady for addressing an often-neglected aspect of girls’ and women’s dignity and reproductive health.

Similarly, the Borno State RHI Coordinator and Wife of the Governor, Dr. Falmata Umara Zulum, lauded the First Lady’s commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in society through her numerous interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), complementing the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Meanwhile, the First Lady also handed over assorted food items to the Borno State RHI Coordinator, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, for onward distribution to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. This places Borno among the beneficiaries of the monthly RHI Food Outreach Scheme, flagged off in March 2024 with support from two leading industrialists.