First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has extended the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Programme to 31 states of the federation with Osun becoming the latest beneficiary of the nationwide humanitarian intervention designed to cushion the effects of economic hardship on vulnerable Nigerians.
Mrs. Tinubu announced that Ogun and Akwa Ibom states would be the next beneficiaries of the programme which provides monthly food supplies to disadvantaged households including widows persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Speaking yesterday at the presentation of food items in Osun State the First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that vulnerable Nigerians continued to receive humanitarian support irrespective of their social status or circumstances.
Represented by the wife of the Vice President Hajiya Nana Shettima Mrs. Tinubu formally handed over the food supplies to the wife of the Osun State governor and RHI State Coordinator Mrs. Titilola Adeleke for distribution to identified beneficiaries across the state.
She explained that the Food Outreach Programme launched in March 2024 was conceived to provide direct nutritional assistance to vulnerable Nigerians while strengthening the welfare and resilience of families facing economic difficulties.
In a statement in Abuja by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and ICT in the Office of the Vice President Kwapchi Bata Hamman the First Lady said the intervention formed part of broader efforts to complement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by extending support to Nigerians most affected by prevailing economic and social challenges.
‘The initiative was designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR by ensuring that vulnerable citizens receive the support they need irrespective of their status or circumstances’ she said.
Mrs. Tinubu also announced that the programme had remained operational through the sustained generosity of two major partners who collectively donate two truckloads of food items every month enabling the initiative to reach two states monthly.
She named the donors as the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another benefactor who had elected to remain anonymous.
The First Lady explained that the entire consignment presented to Osun State was provided by the anonymous donor whose contributions alongside those of ASR Africa had sustained the nationwide humanitarian outreach.
‘This particular supply we are distributing today in Osun is entirely from our anonymous donor. I thank both partners for their deep generosity and sustained commitment to supporting vulnerable populations in Nigeria’ she stated.
Mrs. Tinubu hailed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke for the warm reception accorded her delegation acknowledging the commitment of his wife Mrs. Titilola Adeleke to the implementation of Renewed Hope Initiative programmes in the state.
She expressed satisfaction with the continued expansion of the food intervention stating that Ogun and Akwa Ibom states had been selected as the next beneficiaries.
Governor Adeleke praised the First Lady for sustaining the humanitarian programme describing food assistance as an important intervention in addressing the immediate needs of underprivileged citizens.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Teslim Igbalaye the governor said the food outreach had further expanded the range of social welfare programmes introduced by Mrs. Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative since 2023.
He described the intervention as a humanitarian gesture that would provide relief to vulnerable households and complement existing efforts to improve the welfare of disadvantaged residents.
Adeleke assured the First Lady of his administration’s continued support for the implementation of RHI programmes across Osun State particularly initiatives targeting women children elderly citizens and economically disadvantaged groups.
Also Mrs. Adeleke expressed appreciation to the First Lady for extending the food intervention to Osun describing the gesture as another significant milestone in the state’s participation in the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The governor’s wife said the various programmes being implemented under the initiative had continued to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable residents particularly elderly citizens petty traders women and other disadvantaged groups.
According to her the initiative has contributed to improved welfare for elderly citizens expanded commercial opportunities through grants to petty traders and supported interventions in agriculture food security education and healthcare.
Mrs. Adeleke maintained that the intervention had added another dimension to the humanitarian support available to vulnerable residents of the state expressing gratitude to the First Lady for her continued commitment to social inclusion.
The RHI Food Outreach Programme is one of several interventions under the First Lady’s social investment platform established to promote humanitarian assistance economic empowerment and improved living conditions for vulnerable Nigerians.
The programme which began in March 2024 has progressively expanded its reach across the country with Thursday’s distribution in Osun bringing the number of beneficiary states to 31.