First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Launches Food Initiative in Yobe, Outlines Broader Renewed Hope Agenda

In a significant move to combat food insecurity and empower vulnerable citizens, Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday launched a donation of food items to disadvantaged groups in Yobe State.

The event, executed under the banner of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI),where First Lady represented by the Wife of the Vice President,Nana Kashim Shettima,Mrs Tinubu stated that the food outreach scheme is a critical component of the RHI's mission to provide a safety net for the nation's most vulnerable persons.

Senator Tinubu elaborated on the initiative's comprehensive scope, which extends beyond immediate relief. She announced that the RHI specifically "targets women in agriculture, providing them with training, start-up kits, and resources to promote agricultural production."

This strategic focus, she noted, aligns with both national and state agricultural policies designed to reduce Nigeria's dependence on food importation and achieve greater self-sufficiency.

Further expanding on the RHI's social investment pillars, the First Lady revealed a healthcare component aimed at senior citizens and people with special needs. She assured that 200 individuals in each of the 36 states will receive free medical support under this programme.

The launch ceremony featured commendations from the state government. Hajiya Hafsat Mai Mala Buni, Wife of the Yobe State Governor and State Coordinator of the RHI, expressed profound gratitude for the First Lady's "show of love and compassion."

She confirmed that the state government, under Governor Mai Mala Buni, has fully "keyed into the Renewed Hope Initiative" with substantial parallel support for women, children, and vulnerable groups. 

Hajiya Hafsat detailed ongoing state efforts, including the distribution of household items, skills acquisition programmes,and economic empowerment schemes, which have led to a "good percentage of women" being uplifted under the state's post-insurgency recovery programme.

In his remarks, Governor Mai Mala Buni, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana, assured the state's unwavering support for the RHI. 

He affirmed that the state government and the initiative are on the same page in providing support, especially to women and vulnerable persons,pledging that his administration would continue to create opportunities for their economic empowerment.