First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commissioned the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East and an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Experience Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.
The twin initiatives were unveiled on Thursday, September 10, during Mrs Tinubu’s official visit to the state, with the projects focusing on supporting vulnerable Nigerians and expanding access to digital skills and technology.
The food bank initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s nationwide National Community Food Bank Programme, designed to provide food and nutrition support to vulnerable households, particularly women and children.
At the launch in Anambra, the First Lady said the programme was aimed at giving hope to vulnerable Nigerians and strengthening efforts to address food and nutrition challenges.
The South-East launch in Anambra marked the completion of the programme’s rollout across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Food support for vulnerable residents
The programme is designed to support vulnerable groups, including pregnant and lactating women and children below six years, through access to nutritious food and nutrition-related support.
Anambra State officials said the food bank initiative would work with Primary Healthcare Centres to improve access to assistance for vulnerable families.
The programme is part of broader efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition while strengthening community-level support systems.
The First Lady also commended the Anambra State Government and its leadership for supporting vulnerable residents and complementing the Federal Government’s intervention.
ICT centre targets digital skills
At the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Mrs Tinubu also commissioned the South-East Zonal ICT Experience Centre, established through a partnership involving the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The centre is designed to provide students, lecturers and other beneficiaries with practical training in areas including digital literacy, software development, data science, multimedia, online learning, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The Oko facility is part of a wider TETFund intervention covering Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
TETFund has committed N6 billion to the establishment of the six zonal ICT Experience Centres, with N1 billion allocated to each zone, according to the agency’s leadership.
Investment in Nigeria’s digital future
The TETFund initiative is intended to strengthen digital inclusion and provide young Nigerians with practical skills needed in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
Officials said the centres would provide opportunities for students to develop competencies that can support employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and access to global digital opportunities.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, described the facility as an important addition to the institution, noting its potential to expand students’ access to technology, innovation and professional networks.
Two-pronged intervention
The commissioning of the two projects places social support and human-capital development at the centre of the Federal Government’s intervention in Anambra.
While the food bank is focused on providing nutritional support to vulnerable members of the community, the ICT centre is designed to equip young people with digital knowledge and practical technological skills.
The initiatives also reflect the government’s broader emphasis on social welfare, education, digital inclusion and youth empowerment under the Renewed Hope agenda.
With the South-East food bank now launched and the zonal ICT centre operational at Oko, attention will turn to implementation and the extent to which the facilities translate into sustained support for vulnerable families and meaningful digital opportunities for young Nigerians.
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