Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for immediate and sustained government action to end child malnutrition in Nigeria, using the inauguration of the North-East zone of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Maiduguri to deliver a pointed message that millions of Nigerian children continued to lack access to adequate nutrition, a situation she described as a pressing national priority that could no longer be deferred.
The programme, targeting vulnerable malnourished mothers, pregnant women, and children between the ages of zero and six years, represents one of the federal government’s most direct food security interventions and is being rolled out progressively across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Mrs. Tinubu stressed that community food banks had proven globally to be effective mechanisms for delivering nutritious food to those who needed it most, and argued that building strong partnerships among farmers, food producers, corporate organisations, and communities was essential to bridging the gap between abundance and need across the country.
“Their generosity affirms that we are indeed our brothers’ keepers and gives confidence that this programme will endure and thrive for many years to come, beyond this administration. The success of this programme will depend on sustained collaboration. We must work together to build a transparent, accountable, and well-structured food bank system that reaches vulnerable households across Nigeria,” she said.
She described the choice of Borno State for the North-East launch as strategic, noting that the region had suffered prolonged insecurity that contributed significantly to food insecurity and child malnutrition, making it among the most urgent priorities for intervention. She commended Governor Babagana Zulum for empowering 2,000 women in the state, many of whom were potential beneficiaries of the food bank programme.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, explained that the programme was designed to establish community-based food banks in every local government area, linked to primary healthcare centres supported by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and operating in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture. The food banks would provide nutritious, locally sourced food through a voucher system to malnourished children under six, pregnant and lactating women, orphans, and vulnerable households.
Pate confirmed that President Tinubu had approved a special intervention of N17 billion through the Social Action Fund to support the programme, demonstrating the federal government’s financial commitment to the initiative.
Minister for Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, outlined the operational mechanics of the food bank, explaining that mothers and children diagnosed as malnourished at healthcare facilities would receive food vouchers redeemable at designated Primary Health Centres.
The programme aims to support 500,000 households nationwide. The First Lady also inaugurated a Nurses Quarters and two schools in Borno State during the same visit, and met with the Shehu of Borno and other traditional leaders as part of her engagement with the state’s leadership and community structures.
