May 27, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has declared that no Nigerian girl should be forced to miss school because she cannot afford sanitary pads, as the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) launched its “Flow with Confidence” menstrual hygiene programme in Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking through the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the initiative, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, during the launch at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo, Senator Tinubu described the programme as a critical intervention to empower schoolgirls through improved menstrual hygiene, dignity and education support.
She said many girls across the country still face difficulties during their menstrual cycle, with some resorting to unsafe alternatives, while others stay away from school entirely, a situation she noted negatively affects their academic performance and prospects.
According to the First Lady, the Renewed Hope Initiative has distributed one-year supplies of disposable sanitary pads to about 370,000 schoolgirls in rural communities nationwide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory receiving 10,000 packs for onward distribution.
Tinubu stressed that the initiative was driven by the belief that girls should never have to choose between education and dignity.
“At the Renewed Hope Initiative, we believe that no girl should ever have to choose between her dignity and her education”, she stated.
She urged local government chairmen to take ownership of the intervention and ensure that the sanitary products get to deserving girls in rural communities.
“The pads are not to be sold under any circumstances”, she warned, appealing to corporate organisations, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to support and monitor the distribution process to guarantee transparency and effectiveness.
She also encouraged beneficiaries to remain focused on their education, reject the stigma associated with menstruation and make proper use of the sanitary products provided.
Earlier, the RHI Focal Person in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Emem Orok, said the programme was designed to educate girls on self-care and proper menstrual hygiene management during adolescence.
A resource person at the event, Mrs Iniobong Josiah, lectured participants on personal hygiene, healthy living and menstrual health management, with emphasis on the proper use of sanitary pads.
In her remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Inibehe Silas Etukudo, commended Senator Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and empowerment of the girl child across Nigeria.
Other speakers at the event, including the President of WALGON, Mrs Akaninyene Udo, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lady Emem Ibanga, and the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Umoh, described the initiative as a significant step toward restoring dignity and confidence to adolescent girls, particularly in rural communities.
