The Wife of the President, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, disclosed this at an RHI held on Friday at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, Abia State, where she oversaw the handover of food supplies to the state’s RHI Coordinator and Wife of the state governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti.
She also said that to help girls stay in school throughout their menstrual cycle, the ‘Flow with Confidence’ programme would distribute 10,000 packs of sanitary pads to young girls, particularly those in rural communities.
Mrs Tinubu, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President and Vice Chairman of RHI, Hajiya Nana Shettima, said the programmes were designed to complement the renewed hope agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to improve the lives of Nigerians across the country.
“Under Economic Empowerment, RHI plans to disburse grants of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (₦200,000) each to 250 persons with disabilities in all 36 states and the FCT to support and recapitalise their small businesses.
“In the area of Education, the ‘Flow with Confidence’ programme will distribute 10,000 packs of sanitary pads—enough to last a year—to young girls, particularly those in rural communities. This initiative aims to help girls stay in school throughout their menstrual cycle,” Senator Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement by the Special Assistant to the President, Media and ICT, (Office of the Vice President), Kwapchi Bata Hamman, on Saturday.
She reaffirmed the President’s commitment to addressing food insecurity and empowering the nation’s most vulnerable populations through the expansion of the RHI Food Outreach Scheme.
She affirmed that the programme, which officially began on March 8, 2024, would continue to deliver critical food assistance to women, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities across the country.
She said, “As I hand over these essential food commodities to Abia State and the RHI state coordinator, I urge the beneficiaries to use these items for the well-being of their families. We at RHI are implementing several impactful interventions that are touching lives across the nation, and we are pleased that our efforts are yielding positive outcomes.”
Senator Tinubu also commended the wife of the state governor for her outstanding efforts and support in ensuring the success of the RHI food outreach and other related programmes in the state.
Abia Open To Partnerships
Governor Alex Otti declared his administration’s readiness to partner with organisations like RHI that aim to uplift the vulnerable.
He applauded Senator Tinubu’s commitment and the tangible impacts of the RHI outreach.
Receiving the items, the governor’s wife highlighted the significant impact of the outreach on families in the state.
“This intervention has transformed many lives,” she stated, assuring the First Lady of continuous support and affirming that items would be distributed to individuals from diverse backgrounds to meet the programme’s objectives.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of ASR Africa and representative of BUA, Ubon Udoh, lauded the sustainable impact of RHI’s work and pledged continued support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative.
Since its launch, the Food Outreach Scheme has reached 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Oyo.
The initiative is scheduled to reach Enugu and Kaduna next. Funded by The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and an anonymous donor, the programme targets one state per month for food distribution.
The First Lady used the occasion to announce the rollout of several other new initiatives under RHI’s five core pillars—Social Investment, Economic Empowerment, Education, Health, and Agriculture—for the year 2025.
By Alexander Okere @ChannelsNews
