Ogun widows, persons with disabilities benefit from Tinubu’s food relief programme

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonoye, Abuja

Widows, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable residents of Ogun State have benefited from the food relief programme of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship on disadvantaged Nigerians.

Ogun is the 32nd state to benefit from the intervention, which provides two truckloads of assorted food items monthly for distribution to vulnerable households through the wives of state governors, who serve as coordinators of the programme.

The food items were presented in Abeokuta, the state capital, by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, who represented the First Lady, while Akwa Ibom State was announced as the next beneficiary.

Speaking at the presentation, Tinubu said the intervention reflected the commitment of RHI to providing nutritional support to vulnerable Nigerians in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She commended Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and his wife, Bamidele, for supporting the initiative and implementing programmes aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable residents.

Governor Abiodun, in his remarks, said the welfare of vulnerable citizens must remain central to public policy, stressing that disability, poverty and other difficult circumstances should never constitute grounds for discrimination or exclusion.

“Vulnerability does not diminish an individual’s capacity or worth and should never be a basis for exclusion,” the governor said.

He called for broader measures to address food insecurity, including investment in modern agricultural practices, food processing, marketing and rural enterprise development, saying sustainable food security required initiatives that would improve production, create economic opportunities and strengthen household incomes.

Mrs. Abiodun described the intervention as practical support for vulnerable families, saying it would help ease the burden on disadvantaged households.

She expressed appreciation to the First Lady and development partners for extending the programme to Ogun State. Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), Ubon Udoh, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities through strategic partnerships and social investments.

Udoh disclosed that ASR Africa had an annual intervention budget of $100 million, with 50 per cent, representing $50 million, earmarked for Nigeria.

He described the partnership with RHI as a strategic effort to improve the lives of vulnerable Nigerians and pledged continued support for the programme.

The food relief initiative is supported by ASR Africa and an anonymous donor, with distribution coordinated through the wives of state governors.

The assorted food items were subsequently handed over to Bamidele Abiodun for distribution to widows, persons with disabilities and other designated beneficiaries across Ogun State.