By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA —The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) under its Social Investment Programme (SIP) has distributed food items to widows, persons living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in Jigawa State.

The initiative, which is the pet project of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has also inaugurated the Green Nigeria Challenge to encourage environmental sustainability through tree planting, sanitation and green innovation among households, communities and young Nigerians.

In a statement on Wednesday by Mrs Kwapchi-Bata Hamman, Special Assistant on Media and ICT, Office of the Vice President, the food outreach programme has reached 26 states, providing relief and renewed hope to thousands of vulnerable Nigerians since its inception.

According to the statement, the symbolic presentation of food items was performed in Dutse by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, on behalf of the First Lady, Senator Tinubu.

The statement quoted the First Lady as saying that Ondo State will be the next beneficiary of the food intervention programme under the Renewed Hope Initiative.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu,vwho was represented by Hajia Shettima, reaffirmed the initiative’s commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian was left behind in the pursuit of national development and shared prosperity.

She said the initiative would continue to provide social safety nets for women, children and other vulnerable groups across the country.

“The Renewed Hope Initiative remains steadfast in its mission to provide a safety net for those most in need, particularly women, children and vulnerable groups,” she said.

The First Lady explained that the initiative was established to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration through targeted humanitarian and social intervention programmes.

She disclosed that the food outreach programme was supported by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another donor who chose to remain anonymous.

“Our goal is to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda by supporting vulnerable Nigerians through impactful social intervention programmes,” she said.

Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing it as timely and consistent with his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable residents.

Namadi said the support aligned with his administration’s development blueprint aimed at addressing the needs of disadvantaged groups across the state.

In a related development, Mrs. Shettima inaugurated the Renewed Hope Initiative Green Nigeria Challenge in Jigawa with the theme, “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow.”

The statement said the programme was designed to promote environmental sustainability through tree planting, environmental sanitation and green innovations at household and community levels.

It added that the challenge was launched on Sept. 10, 2025, at the Banquet Hall of the State House in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment.

According to the statement, the initiative seeks to nurture a new generation of environmentally conscious young Nigerians through active participation in climate-friendly activities.

It noted that students from six environmental clubs and societies participated in the Jigawa event, with over 3,000 participants already registered under the programme in the state.