First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated 10,000 sanitary pads to schoolgirls across Oyo State as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative’s effort to combat period poverty and promote menstrual hygiene among young girls.
Speaking during the distribution event in Ibadan on Monday, Mrs Tinubu—represented by the wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Tamunomini Makinde—said the gesture aims to empower girls and ensure they do not miss school due to lack of access to sanitary products.
She described it as unacceptable that many girls, especially in rural areas, still face significant challenges managing their menstrual cycles, leading some to miss school and fall behind academically.
“It is unacceptable that our girls 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 said.
The First Lady expressed concern that many young girls still resort to unsafe, unhygienic alternatives or stay back at home, sometimes resulting in them dropping out of school entirely. She noted that the intervention, under the education arm of the Renewed Hope Initiative, is designed to put an end to such setbacks.
Mrs Tinubu revealed that the programme plans to distribute disposable sanitary pads to 370,000 schoolgirls nationwide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory receiving 10,000 pads through their respective First Ladies and Renewed Hope Initiative coordinators.
“As you can see, all the girls seated in this auditorium already have theirs. We’ll also be reaching girls across all 33 local government areas. Today, I will be handing over 10,000 disposable sanitary pads for distribution to 10,000 deserving girls,” she added.
She explained that disposable pads were chosen for their affordability and ease of use, emphasizing the initiative’s commitment to ensuring that no girl’s education is disrupted due to menstrual challenges.
Thank you First Lady for the sanitary pads. That was really thoughtful. I am wondering how they will maintain hygiene if this gesture is a one-off. Can you set up free collection points for sanitary pads for secondary school girls in Oyo? That way it will be something that endures to bring about life style changes. Modalities can be put in place to make it work. Thank you again my beautiful First Lady.