The Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, has handed over 10,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads for distribution to adolescent girls across Ekiti State, covering both rural and urban communities.
The Nigerian First Lady, represented by the Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, made the presentation in Ado-Ekiti at the launch of “Flow with Confidence” a flagship programme of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) designed to promote menstrual health, dignity, and confidence among schoolgirls.
Senator Tinubu explained that each beneficiary would receive a pack of pads to last one year, describing the gesture as a vital intervention to empower schoolgirls, improve their reproductive well-being, and reduce stigma surrounding menstruation.
According to her, the initiative is being launched simultaneously in Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos States, while other states will follow as soon as they receive their allocations.
“It is unacceptable that girls still miss or drop out of school because they cannot afford sanitary pads. No girl should face such a challenge,” the First Lady said.
She urged local government chairmen and traditional rulers to take ownership of the intervention, scale up the programme, and ensure strict monitoring so that the pads reach deserving beneficiaries directly. She emphasized that the pads must not be sold under any circumstance.
Senator Tinubu disclosed that 370,000 schoolgirls across Nigeria would benefit from the initiative, with over ₦2.5 billion already spent to procure the customized disposable pads from a local manufacturer. She called on corporate organizations, parastatals, and well-meaning Nigerians to support and expand the programme.
“To our dear students and beneficiaries: this is for you. Make the most of it and do not sell the pads. Stay in school, study hard, support one another, and never allow shame or stigma to take away your confidence,” she charged. “You are the future of this nation, and I believe in you.”
Speaking at the launch, the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, represented by his Deputy, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, praised Senator Tinubu’s compassion and dedication to the welfare of women and girls, describing the initiative as a major step toward reducing school absenteeism and safeguarding girls’ dignity.
The event also featured a lecture delivered by Dr. Olukemi Akinyemi of the Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan, who encouraged the girls to embrace menstruation as a natural process and a sign of strength rather than shame.
