News Highlights:
- Senator Oluremi Tinubu launched the National Food Bank Programme in the North-West
- The First Lady also commissioned Technology-Driven Education and Healthcare Facilities
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has hailed the establishment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy, a modern clinic and a dialysis centre in Hadejia, Jigawa State, as a demonstration of the government’s resolve to strengthen critical sectors that directly impact the lives of Nigerians.
Speaking on Monday at the commissioning of the projects, Senator Tinubu described them as “clear evidence of the government’s commitment to improving infrastructure, expanding access to quality healthcare, and investing in the future of the young.”
She noted that the state-of-the-art clinic, which also houses a dialysis centre named in her honour, would bring “relief and hope to many patients and their families in Hadejia, neighbouring communities, and beyond.”
The First Lady further said the Academy reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to human capital development and educational excellence, adding that the institution would help secure “a better tomorrow” for Nigeria’s children.
Beyond commissioning the education and healthcare facilities, Senator Tinubu also launched the National Food Bank Programme, describing it as a critical intervention to address food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households across the country.
The initiative is designed to ensure that children under six years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers have access to nutritious food, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and improved health outcomes.
She explained that the programme is being implemented through a strategic partnership involving the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Bank of Agriculture.
Speaking on the initiative, the First Lady described it as “a deliberate and sustainable response to food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households in Nigeria.”
She stressed that the programme is designed to ensure that children under the age of six, pregnant women, and lactating mothers have access to nutritious food, adding that “this programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, advancing food security, improving healthcare outcomes, and building a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria.”
Recalling the programme’s rollout, Senator Tinubu said: “We have launched the National Community Food Trust Fund and inaugurated the Board of Trustees in Abuja on 2 April 2026. On 27 April, we conducted the first launch in Borno State for the North-East Zone, and today, by the grace of God, we are launching the second National Community Food Bank here in Jigawa State for the North-West Zone.”
Commending the early success recorded in Borno State, she disclosed that the programme had already enrolled 560 beneficiaries and reached 468 vulnerable children, pregnant women and lactating mothers in less than two months.
“This impressive achievement gives me confidence that Jigawa State will set even higher standards for others to follow,” she declared.
She further emphasised that Jigawa’s strong agricultural potential made it a strategic choice for the North-West launch and called for “sustained collaboration to build a transparent, accountable, and efficient food bank system that reaches vulnerable households across Nigeria.”
Highlighting the significance of the newly commissioned projects, Senator Tinubu expressed appreciation to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for the honour bestowed on her and the President.
“We are grateful for these honours done to us. Thank you. These projects are clear evidence of the state and federal government’s commitment to improving infrastructure, expanding access to quality healthcare, and investing in education and the future of young people,” she said.
She added: “By investing in the education of our children today, we are securing a better tomorrow for them.”
The clinic and dialysis centre were built and fully equipped by FutureMap Foundation and eHealth Africa in recognition of the First Lady’s commitment to improving the lives of underserved communities, while the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy was established with the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and NITDA to advance innovation and education.
Both facilities are designed to complement each other. The academy’s fabrication laboratory and advanced learning facilities will support the clinic by developing prototypes of body organs, particularly kidneys, to aid research, early detection, and the prevention of chronic kidney disease.
The collaboration is expected to ensure that education directly drives healthcare innovation and produces practical solutions to pressing medical challenges.
Earlier, Jigawa State Governor, Mallam Umar A. Namadi, welcomed the First Lady and other dignitaries, describing their presence for the North-West launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme as “a strong demonstration of solidarity with families who need support and a reaffirmation of our shared duty to protect the vulnerable segment of our population.”
He said the occasion underscored the essence of public service by ensuring that every child’s health, survival, and development are protected.
Governor Namadi described the initiative as “a timely intervention that will not only bring food resources closer to the people who need them most but will also contribute to better nutrition indices among our children.”
He said the programme addresses immediate nutritional needs while creating long-term support for vulnerable households through collaboration with community leaders, farmers, civil society organisations and the private sector.
Citing Section 16(2) of the Constitution, which mandates government provide “suitable and adequate food for all citizens,” the Governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for advancing national food security through the food bank initiative.
According to him, the programme complements Jigawa State’s Food and Nutrition Policy and Social Protection Policy, strengthening targeted nutritional support for mothers and children.
Governor Namadi also highlighted the state’s homegrown nutrition programme, which screened more than 240,000 children in 2024 and 382,000 in 2025, successfully improving the nutritional status of thousands of children while training 600 women to produce locally made nutritious food formulas such as Tom Brown.
He assured that governors in the North-West would provide the necessary support for the initiative by strengthening storage and distribution systems and ensuring transparency and accountability.
“A nutritious meal for a pregnant woman can safeguard two lives, and nutritious food for a child can support learning and growth,” he said, urging all stakeholders to work with diligence and compassion to guarantee the programme’s long-term success.
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy is conceived as a sustainability-focused institution that integrates advanced technology with practical problem-solving. Its facilities include a fabrication laboratory and maker space for developing health wearables and prosthetics, an innovation laboratory with AI-driven tutoring, a start-up pitch space, an auditorium, an atrium and a residential hostel, positioning it as a hub for research, entrepreneurship and digital skills development.
Its healthcare counterpart, the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic, features a dedicated dialysis centre, a fully equipped operating theatre, maternity wards and continuous piped oxygen across all wards. Powered by renewable energy systems, the facility is designed to deliver uninterrupted critical healthcare services to underserved communities.
Together, both institutions create a model in which education and healthcare reinforce each other through innovation, research and practical medical application, particularly in tackling chronic kidney disease and strengthening Nigeria’s emerging health technology ecosystem.
The event was attended by all seven governors from the North-West geopolitical zone and their spouses; the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Hajiya Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure; the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad; the Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, as well as other senior government officials and traditional rulers.