First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Launches Agricultural Support Program in Delta State, Distributes Farm Inputs to 400 Farmers
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Launches Agricultural Support Program in Delta State, Distributes Farm Inputs to 400 Farmers
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, emphasized the vital importance of agriculture in fostering food security, creating jobs, and boosting economic development during a Wednesday event.
She distributed farm inputs and financial grants to 400 farmers in Delta State as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Agricultural Support Programme, organized in partnership with the ‘You Matter Charity Foundation’. The event took place in Asaba, the state capital.
Represented by Tobore Oborevwori, wife of the Delta State Governor, Mrs. Tinubu expressed admiration for the active participation of women, young farmers—including secondary school students—youths, and cooperative groups in farming activities. She highlighted the longstanding tradition of gardening, noting that it sustained earlier generations and continues to benefit families today.
She introduced the ‘Every Home a Garden’ initiative, which promotes home gardening as a means to alleviate economic hardship. “Gardening is for everyone, regardless of gender or age,” she said. “Growing your own food encourages healthier eating habits, improves diets, and provides fresh, nutritious produce. The earth blesses us when we plant, germinate, and harvest. The goal of this initiative is to increase food production nationwide, enabling families to feed themselves and share with neighbors.”
Mrs. Tinubu announced that beneficiaries across four categories—women, youths, secondary school students, and farming groups—were selected to receive various farm tools and seedlings. She encouraged recipients to give their best in farming and shared her personal experience of tending her own garden, which is soon to yield crops like corn and vegetables. She urged those who have yet to start to consider farming as a viable means to move from scarcity to abundance.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Catherine Onyeme, wife of the Delta State Deputy Governor, representing the governor’s wife, reaffirmed the event’s focus on empowering student farmers, women, youths, and cooperative groups. She highlighted the commitment to providing resources and support through the Agricultural Support Programme, led by the First Lady, to strengthen agriculture as a key economic driver.
She acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers, such as limited access to resources, financing, and modern techniques. She stressed that empowering farmers is essential—not just an intervention but a necessity—to restore hope, ensure food security, increase household incomes, and transform farming into a sustainable enterprise.
Congratulating Mrs. Tinubu for her visionary leadership, Onyeme urged beneficiaries to maximize the opportunity. She expressed hope that the support would serve as a foundation for greater achievements in food productivity, employment creation, and overall prosperity for Delta State and Nigeria.
Delta State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Val Arenyeka, highlighted the crucial role farmers play in ensuring food security, emphasizing that without farmers, there would be no food. He called on the community to embrace farming as a path toward food sufficiency.
Additionally, Mr. Harry Triakriowei, Commissioner for Youth Development, appreciated Mrs. Tinubu’s inclusion of Delta youths in her Renewed Hope Initiative, recognizing its potential to improve food security and generate income through agriculture.
