In a significant move to promote menstrual hygiene and girl-child education, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has kicked off a nationwide distribution of 370,000 sanitary towels across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative, part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), aims to empower adolescent girls by providing them with safe and hygienic menstrual products.
The “Flow with Confidence” Initiative seeks to address the challenges girls face during their menstrual cycles, particularly in rural areas where many miss school due to unaffordable sanitary products. Represented by Bishop Dr. Mrs Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, the First Lady emphasized that no girl should miss school because of her inability to afford sanitary pads.
During the event, 10,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads were handed over to the First Lady of Cross River State for distribution to deserving girls in rural communities across the state. Each beneficiary will receive a one-year supply of pads. The initiative has invested a whopping N2,559,297,150 in the distribution of sanitary towels.
The wives of Local Government Chairmen were urged to take ownership of the intervention and ensure the supplies reach deserving girls in rural areas. Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, represented by Commissioner for Social Welfare Bishop Dr. Margaret Ene-Ita, affirmed that the gesture would go a long way in restoring the dignity of the girl child and helping them regain their confidence.
The Senior Special Adviser on Administration, Dr. Comfort Oko, emphasized that the pads must not be sold under any circumstances, as a huge amount of money was spent by the Renewed Hope Initiative purchasing them. She admonished the girls to take their personal hygiene as seriously as they take their academics.
In total, 250 school girls received a one-year supply of sanitary pads during the event, while Local Government Chairmen’s wives were handed the rest for effective distribution in the rural areas. This initiative is a significant step towards promoting girl-child education and empowerment in Nigeria.
