…As RHI expands food banks, nutrition support

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA – THE First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday said Nigerian children must not be allowed to go hungry.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu stated this while unveiling fresh steps by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to expand National Food Banks, nutrition support and community interventions for vulnerable families across the country.

She stated this at the second quarter meeting with wives of state governors at the State House Abuja.

She explained that the initiative is designed to tackle child malnutrition from the grassroots and ensure that pregnant women and nursing mothers also get support.

She charged the wives of governors to look out continually for these vulnerable children in their various States.

According to her: “Our children are not supposed to be going hungry. No matter what, when you see a child that is malnourished in your state, you have to take them and make sure that they are properly cared for”.

She explained that the food banks being rolled out under RHI across the six geopolitical zones would be located very close to primary healthcare centres to make it easier for families to access nutrition support alongside medical care.

“These food banks are built next to the primary healthcare centres so that the ones that need supplement can get their supplements, lactating mothers and pregnant women too will be given food items from the food bank”.

She explained that the project is being strengthened through support from donors and partner agencies, including the Bank of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dangote and the National Population Commission.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu also urged state governments and their spouses to do more to identify and support malnourished children early.

On the wider nutrition strategy, she stressed the importance of linking food support with health interventions for women and children.

The First Lady further called for more donations to the National Food Bank Drive which is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, she described her role as well as that of governors wives as “only performing a supportive role.”

“I’m the housewife here and I’m only playing complimentary roles and supportive roles. And that’s what we, all these women here (governors’ wives), have been doing.”