Adesanya-Davies Congratulates First Lady on South-South Food Bank Launch
Former presidential candidate and community advocate, Professor Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has congratulated Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on the launch of the South-South zonal phase of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Calabar, Cross River State.
The programme, launched on Thursday at Edeba Primary Health Centre, Calabar, with simultaneous events at Maternal and Child Health (MCH) facilities in Ikom and Ogoja, is targeted at vulnerable households across Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.
Representing the First Lady at the event, officials said the initiative was designed as a “deliberate and sustainable response to food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households,” with particular attention to children under six, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The programme received the backing of Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, who said his administration was ready to complement the Federal Government’s intervention.
Otu disclosed that the state had established functional food banks across its three senatorial districts, while also implementing agricultural initiatives aimed at tackling the root causes of hunger.
According to him, these include a 50,000-hectare rice farming programme, a 20,000-hectare cassava farm cluster, support for fishermen and artisans, as well as grants for farmers and agribusiness operators.
He added that the state’s Special Agro-Processing Zone would provide markets for farmers, while a proposed N70 billion public-private partnership was expected to further strengthen the agricultural sector.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, urged governors across the South-South to replicate the food bank model by using primary healthcare facilities to deliver nutrition interventions to vulnerable women and children.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative, Nemat Hajeebhoy, also commended the Federal Government, the First Lady and the Cross River State Government for prioritising food and nutrition security.
Hajeebhoy noted that Cross River was an appropriate location for the zonal launch, citing the state’s reported decline in malnutrition rates.
Reacting to the development, Adesanya-Davies described the launch as a “visionary and people-centred” initiative capable of addressing hunger and malnutrition in the region.
She commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for what she described as her compassion and commitment to vulnerable Nigerians, while also praising Governor Otu for supporting the programme.
“The launch in Calabar is visionary and people-centred. Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has shown that when you feed a child and a mother, you are building the future of a nation,” Adesanya-Davies said.
“I commend Governor Otu for aligning Cross River with this Renewed Hope agenda.”
The former presidential candidate called on stakeholders across the South-South to support the implementation of the programme while ensuring transparency and accountability.
She also advocated community farming and food preservation as measures to sustain the impact of the initiative.
“Food security is not a palliative, it is a foundation. I urge our people to own this programme so that no child goes to bed hungry,” she added.
The National Community Food Bank Programme was inaugurated by the First Lady in Abuja on April 2, 2026, and is being implemented across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture, corporate donors and development partners.
