First Lady unveils South-West food initiative and commissions 108-unit housing estate and medical centre in Ogun

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday launched the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-West in Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State, as part of efforts to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerians.

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The South-West launch, the fourth zonal flag-off of the initiative, is designed to provide nutritious food to children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Speaking at the event, Tinubu said the programme aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on improving food security, health outcomes and the wellbeing of vulnerable households.

She described the initiative as a deliberate and sustainable response to the growing challenge of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country.

According to the First Lady, the programme would make nutritious food more accessible to vulnerable groups who are particularly exposed to the effects of inadequate nutrition.

Tinubu commended Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and his wife, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, for establishing three community food banks in Sagamu, Yewa North and Abeokuta ahead of the South-West launch.

She also acknowledged the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, for their roles in advancing the programme.

The First Lady’s intervention comes amid wider national efforts to address malnutrition and improve access to essential food and healthcare services for vulnerable Nigerians.

Following the food bank launch, Tinubu commissioned the Muhammadu Buhari Housing Estate in Kobape, Ogun State, describing the project as an important milestone in the provision of decent, smart and affordable accommodation.

The estate, located along the Oke-Mosan-Kobape Expressway, comprises 108 housing units.

At the commissioning, Abiodun thanked the First Lady for her support and stressed the importance of expanding access to affordable housing as the state continues to confront its housing deficit.

The governor said his administration would continue working to provide affordable homes for residents until the end of its tenure.

Tinubu also commissioned the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence during her visit, adding healthcare infrastructure to a programme that had already placed food security and housing at the centre of her Ogun engagements.

She later met with traditional rulers in the state as part of her engagements during the visit.

The combination of the Food Bank Programme, housing development and healthcare investment highlighted the broader social welfare priorities underpinning the First Lady’s visit, with the food initiative particularly focused on the earliest stages of life when adequate nutrition can have lasting consequences.

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For Ogun, the establishment of three food banks before the national launch also provides an existing local framework through which the South-West initiative can reach vulnerable households and complement government efforts to improve nutrition and public health.