Ogun ex-lawmaker urges FG to institutionalise food bank programme
August 20, 2026 7:20 am
The wife of Gov Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, the First Lady, Sen Oluremi Tinubu, Gov Abiodun and others during the launch of the National Community Food Bank for the Southwest in Abeokuta
A former member of the House of Representatives in Ogun State, Kayode Oladele, has praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for the launch of the Southwest Zonal National Community Food Bank Programme in Ogun State.
He described the initiative as a remarkable demonstration of compassion, purposeful leadership and commitment to the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians while asking the Federal Government to institutionalise the programme.
Oladele, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, in a statement on Wednesday, said the launch of the programme in Abeokuta on Tuesday for the Southwest Zone demonstrated the First Lady’s understanding of the everyday challenges facing ordinary Nigerians and her determination to use her position to make a meaningful difference in their lives.
Tinubu had inaugurated three food banks, one each in Sagamu, Yewa North and Abeokuta South as part of the South-West rollout
While hailing this initiative, Oladele urged the Federal Government to build on the initiative by institutionalising the National Community Food Bank as a permanent component of Nigeria’s food security and social protection system.
He said, “The launch of the Zonal National Community Food Bank programme by our distinguished First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is a highly commendable initiative and another clear demonstration of her compassion and genuine concern for the welfare of Nigerians, particularly the most vulnerable members of our society.
“Through her various interventions, the First Lady has consistently shown that leadership is ultimately about touching lives and responding to the needs of the people. The Community Food Bank initiative is particularly significant because it addresses one of the most fundamental needs of every human being, which is access to food.”
He added that the programme, which featured the distribution of food items to vulnerable and indigent residents, would provide immediate relief to many households while complementing the social intervention programmes of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Oladele described Senator Tinubu’s intervention as an example of compassionate leadership that should be supported with enduring structures to ensure that its benefits reach more Nigerians across the country.
“The First Lady deserves special commendation for conceiving and championing an initiative that speaks directly to the needs of ordinary families. At a time when governments across the world are grappling with the challenge of food security and the rising cost of living, this programme demonstrates sensitivity, foresight and a strong sense of social responsibility.
“My appeal to the Federal Government is to take this laudable vision further by institutionalising the National Community Food Bank and providing it with the appropriate legal, administrative and financial framework to operate permanently across the country,” he said.
According to Oladele, an institutionalised National Community Food Bank could eventually become an important link between the country’s agricultural sector and its social protection programmes.
He said the scheme could provide a structured arrangement through which the government purchases grains and other essential food commodities from farmers and agricultural cooperatives during periods of abundant harvest, preserves them in strategically located facilities and makes them available when needed.
He added that such a system would provide a dependable market for farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen strategic food reserves and enable the government to respond more effectively to food shortages and the needs of vulnerable households.
The First Lady also inaugurated the 108-unit Muhammadu Buhari Estate at Kobape, Abeokuta, and the Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence, a 250-bed ultra-modern hospital designed to provide advanced healthcare services to residents of Ogun State and neighbouring communities.
Oladele also commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for the projects, saying the investments in housing and healthcare represented important contributions to the development of Ogun State.
He said the combination of food support, housing and healthcare interventions made the First Lady’s visit particularly significant for the people of the state.
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