First Lady Raises N66b for Food Bank, as World Bank Injects $500m to Boost Agriculture

The National Community Food Bank Programme launched by the wife of the President, Senator OLUREMI TINUBU has received over Sixty-Six Billion Naira in donation pledges. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor ALI PATE, made the announcement during the launch of the scheme and the inauguration of the Board of Trustees at the State House in Abuja. Africa’s richest man, ALIKO DANGOTE, led the corporate donors through his foundation, with the pledge of Twenty Billion Naira in-kind commitment over a period of five years. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’ following with a Ten Billion Naira pledge, while a group of anonymous friends of the First Lady contributed approximately Seven Hundred and Fifty Million Naira. Professor PATE further disclosed that President BOLA TINUBU had approved a special intervention of Seventeen Billion Naira through the Social Action Fund to support the programme. In a separate development; the World Bank has approved the sum of Five Hundred Million Dollars to boost Nigeria’s agricultural sector under the International Development Association Credit scheme. The funding is meant to support smallholder farmers under the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth project, also known as AGROW. In a statement on its website, the World Bank said the intervention aims to improve productivity, strengthen market linkages, and create jobs across the country.