First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu yesterday inaugurated the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Future Academy, the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic, and the National Community Food Bank programme in Jigawa State. The events were among the programmes lined up for Senator Tinubu’s one-day official visit to the state. The food bank is meant to tackle child malnutrition and improve healthcare delivery.
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Future Academy and the modern health facility were facilitated by the Director-General (DG) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, while the National Community Food Bank was established by the Federal Government through the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with development partners.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Hadejia, Mrs. Tinubu said the National Community Food Bank Programme was conceived to address the persistent challenge of child malnutrition, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed her to tackle as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). According to her, child nutrition falls under the Office of the Vice President, but the President mandated her to complement existing efforts following disturbing reports on malnutrition across the country.
‘We should not wait until children become severely malnourished before intervening. The Food Bank will provide nutritious food to pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children below the age of six through Primary Healthcare Centres’, she said.
The First Lady explained that the initiative would ensure expectant mothers get nutritional support throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, while children under six years would also benefit from regular food supplies to prevent severe malnutrition.
She announced that the programme was first launched in Borno State and would now be expanded to all six geopolitical zones, with food banks to be established close to Primary Healthcare Centres nationwide.
Mrs. Tinubu praised governors across the Northwest for supporting the initiative, noting that their commitment would accelerate its implementation across the region.
She stated that corporate organisations and public institutions had pledged substantial support for the programme. According to her, the Dangote Group has committed food items worth N20 billion, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is funding the construction of Food Bank facilities across the country with N30 billion.
The First Lady added that she personally donated N500 million to the initiative, while the Bank of Agriculture and other development partners had also made significant contributions.
She stressed that all food items to be distributed under the programme would be locally produced, processed and packaged to support Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
Mrs. Tinubu also inaugurated the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Future Academy, describing it as a major investment in digital innovation, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment.
Speaking on the facility, NITDA Director-General, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the academy was designed to position young Nigerians for the digital economy through world-class training and innovation.
According to him, the academy houses a state-of-the-art Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) for robotics, artificial intelligence and health technology research, an AI-powered Innovation Hub, startup incubation and pitch centre, Computer-Based Training (CBT) and examination facilities, an auditorium, collaborative workspaces and a 60-bed hostel for trainees.
He explained that the academy would also support research into wearable diagnostic devices for early detection of kidney diseases as well as the development of advanced prosthetics using cutting-edge 3D scanning and printing technology.
The First Lady also inaugurated the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic, a modern healthcare facility designed to provide quality and affordable medical services to residents of Hadejia and neighbouring communities.
The clinic features a fully equipped dialysis centre, modern operating theatre, maternity and labour ward, diagnostic laboratories and an integrated oxygen supply system across all wards.
Powered by renewable energy, the hospital is expected to provide uninterrupted healthcare services while serving as a practical centre for deploying health technologies developed at the academy.
Governor Umar Namadi and his wife, Hajiya Adiza Umar Namadi, hosted the First Lady.
The governor described the projects as transformative investments that would strengthen healthcare delivery, promote digital innovation and improve the welfare of the people of Jigawa State.
The event was attended by governors from the Northwest, ministers, wives of ministers, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, led by the Emir of Hadejia, senior government officials, development partners and community leaders.
