Oluremi Tinubu launches ₦2.55bn Sanitary Pads for 370,000 Schoolgirls

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday flagged off the nationwide distribution of 370,000 sanitary pads worth ₦2,550,297,150 for schoolgirls in rural communities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The official launch, held at the State House, Alausa, Lagos, was part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) project tagged “Flow with Confidence.”

The programme, which aims to promote menstrual health and empower adolescent girls, was launched simultaneously in Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos States, with other states expected to follow as supplies arrive.

Mrs. Tinubu, represented at the Lagos event by the State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the intervention was designed to address a critical barrier to girl-child education.

“In today’s modern world, no girl should have to miss school because of her inability to afford sanitary products,” she said.

“It is unacceptable that our girls still continue to face significant challenges during their menstrual cycle, especially those in rural communities, who miss school days every month because they cannot afford sanitary pads,” she added.

She lamented that many girls resort to unsafe and unhygienic alternatives, while others withdraw from school altogether.

“This trend must end, and this intervention, under the Education framework of the Renewed Hope Initiative, is aimed at doing just that,” she stated.

According to her, each of the 36 states and the FCT will receive 10,000 packs of disposable pads, distributed through State First Ladies and RHI Coordinators.

“We will be distributing a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads to 370,000 schoolgirls in rural communities across the nation at the end of this programme,” she announced.

Mrs. Tinubu stressed that the pads, procured from Uniglory Nigeria Limited in Ikorodu, Lagos, at a cost of ₦2.55bn, must be given freely.

“The pads are not to be sold under any circumstance,” she warned, urging local government chairmen to take ownership of the initiative and ensure the products reach deserving girls.

She called on corporate organisations, agencies, and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative, while urging traditional, religious, and community leaders to help monitor the distribution.

“For us at the Renewed Hope Initiative, we believe that no girl should ever have to choose between her dignity and her education,” the First Lady said.

“Stay in school, study hard, support one another and never allow shame or stigma to take away your confidence. Use this opportunity to pursue your dreams boldly, because you are the future of this nation and I believe in you,” she urged them.

In his welcome address, Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Abisola Adegbite, praised the initiative, describing it as a demonstration of the First Lady’s deep concern for girls, especially in grassroots communities.

He recalled that menstrual health had long posed a challenge for young girls, often affecting their education.

Commending the initiative, he said: “This programme underscores the seriousness attached to girl-child education and the wellbeing of our daughters.”