4 September,2026 -The Federal Government has launched the National Community Food Bank Initiative in the South-South geopolitical zone, with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, calling on state and local governments to replicate the initiative to strengthen food security and improve nutrition among vulnerable Nigerians.
The South-South launch of the initiative, was officially done by Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator, Oluremi Tinubu, at Edibe Primary Healthcare Centre, Calabar, Cross Rivers State.
Speaking at the South-South zonal launch, Professor Pate said the initiative was critical to addressing undernutrition, particularly among children and women, stressing that the quality of Nigeria’s human capital depends significantly on the nutritional wellbeing of its population.
According to him, Nigeria is a blessed country, but continues to face the burden of stunting and undernutrition among children and women. He described nutrition as an investment in the nation’s “grey matter infrastructure”, noting that a well-nourished population is essential to achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of a prosperous, peaceful and people-oriented Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister said the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms were creating the conditions for economic growth, but emphasised that investment in physical infrastructure must be matched by investment in people. He identified partnership, leadership, resources, effective delivery and accountability as critical to the success of the food bank initiative.
Professor Pate commended the support of the First Lady, the state governments and other partners, noting that resources had been mobilised through the Renewed Hope Social Impact Trust Fund to support the initiative.
He, however, stressed that additional resources and stronger collaboration would be required to ensure that food and essential nutritional commodities, including micronutrients, reach those who need them.
He called on the governors of the South-South states to replicate the National Community Food Bank model in their respective states and urged local governments to leverage the primary healthcare system as a platform for delivering the intervention to communities.
The Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, in his address, welcomed the initiative and commended the Federal Government and the First Lady for prioritising interventions aimed at addressing hunger, poverty and vulnerability.
Governor Otu said Cross River State had already established functional food banks across its three senatorial districts, describing the National Community Food Bank Initiative as an important intervention for addressing immediate food shortages while complementary investments tackle the underlying causes of poverty and food insecurity.
He said his administration had made agriculture and food production central to its development agenda, citing the establishment of a 50,000-hectare rice farming programme in Obubra Local Government Area and a 20,000-hectare sustainable farm cluster in the Ikom area.
The Governor also highlighted interventions for riverine communities, including the distribution of fishing boats and accessories under relevant agricultural development programmes, as well as the provision of N2 billion in grants to large-scale farmers, agribusiness operators and medium-scale enterprises.
He said the state was also supporting smallholder farmer clusters with grants and extension services and had established a special agro-processing zone to facilitate access to markets for farmers’ produce.
Governor Otu further disclosed that his administration had committed significant resources to an agriculture-centred investment programme covering rice production, fisheries, dairy and livestock development, trawling and other agricultural value chains.
He stressed that security remained a critical priority for the sustainability of these investments, noting that farmers and other participants in the agricultural value chain must be able to operate safely and productively.
The South-South launch represents another step in the Federal Government’s drive to establish a community-based food support system that complements broader efforts to strengthen food security, improve nutrition and build the human capital required for Nigeria’s long-term development. ###(Monitored).
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations.
