AWKA — Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East geopolitical zone as part of efforts to tackle food insecurity and improve nutrition among vulnerable households.
The programme was launched in Anambra State on Thursday as part of the First Lady’s official visit to the state.
The initiative, implemented under the Renewed Hope Initiative, is designed to provide food assistance and nutrition support to vulnerable groups, including widows, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, nursing and lactating mothers, and young children.
The programme also incorporates nutrition education and agricultural support as part of efforts to strengthen household food security and improve the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.
The South-East rollout is part of the Federal Government’s broader National Community Food Bank Programme, which targets 500,000 households nationwide in its first year.
The programme was launched nationally in April 2026 and is being implemented through collaboration involving the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and other partners.
The initiative is particularly focused on improving access to nutritious food and addressing malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerians.
Earlier in the rollout, the First Lady said community food banks were designed to provide free assistance to vulnerable people based on identified needs, with the programme expected to strengthen community-level nutrition support.
The South-East launch also reinforces the Federal Government’s emphasis on collaboration with state governments in addressing food insecurity and strengthening social protection systems.
During her Anambra visit, Tinubu also commissioned an Information and Communications Technology Experience Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area.
The centre, established through collaboration between the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, is expected to provide young Nigerians with training and practical opportunities in areas including software development, data analysis, digital marketing and remote-work skills.
The First Lady’s visit further featured the rollout of empowerment interventions targeting beneficiaries across Anambra State’s 21 local government areas.
The programme includes grants, vocational equipment and agricultural inputs aimed at supporting small businesses, agricultural activities and other livelihood opportunities.
The interventions are expected to complement existing state efforts to cushion economic hardship, strengthen food security and expand opportunities for vulnerable households.
The launch of the South-East food bank therefore marks another phase in the Federal Government’s nationwide expansion of its community-based response to hunger and malnutrition.
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