Oluremi Tinubu Inaugurates NITDA-backed Academy, Clinic in Jigawa
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Oluremi Tinubu Inaugurates NITDA-backed Academy, Clinic in Jigawa
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday inaugurated the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy, a state-of-the-art clinic and dialysis centre, and launched the National Community Food Bank Programme in Hadejia, Jigawa State, describing the projects as milestones in the Federal Government’s drive to improve healthcare, education and food security.
The academy, established with the support of President Bola Tinubu and the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA is expected to serve as a hub for digital innovation, research and skills development, while complementing the newly commissioned Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic through health technology solutions.
Speaking during the commissioning, the First Lady said the projects reflected the commitment of both the Federal and Jigawa State governments to expanding access to quality healthcare, strengthening educational opportunities and investing in the future of young Nigerians.
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She said the clinic and dialysis centre would provide much-needed healthcare services for residents of Hadejia and neighbouring communities, particularly patients battling chronic kidney disease.
According to her, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy represents the administration’s commitment to human capital development and educational excellence.
“By investing in the education of our children today, we are securing a better tomorrow for them,” she said.
Tinubu also inaugurated the National Community Food Bank Programme for the North-West geopolitical zone, describing it as a sustainable intervention aimed at tackling food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable households.
She explained that the initiative targets children below six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, adding that it aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda by improving nutrition, healthcare outcomes and national food security.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership involving the Office of the First Lady, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Bank of Agriculture.
Recalling the programme’s rollout, the First Lady said the National Community Food Trust Fund was inaugurated in Abuja on April 2, 2026, while the first zonal launch took place in Borno State on April 27.
She disclosed that the Borno pilot had enrolled 560 beneficiaries and reached 468 vulnerable children, pregnant women and nursing mothers within two months, expressing optimism that Jigawa would surpass the achievement.
The First Lady commended NITDA for supporting the establishment of the academy, noting that the institution would drive innovation by combining advanced technology with healthcare delivery.
She explained that the academy’s fabrication laboratory and advanced learning facilities would develop prototypes of body organs, particularly kidneys, to support medical research, early diagnosis and prevention of chronic kidney disease.
According to her, the collaboration between the academy and the clinic would ensure that education translates into practical healthcare solutions capable of addressing pressing medical challenges.
Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, described the National Community Food Bank Programme as a timely intervention that would improve nutrition among children and provide direct support for vulnerable families.
He said the initiative complements the state’s food and nutrition policies and aligns with the constitutional responsibility of government to ensure adequate food for citizens.
Namadi disclosed that Jigawa’s homegrown nutrition programme had screened over 240,000 children in 2024 and more than 382,000 in 2025, leading to the recovery of thousands from moderate acute malnutrition.
He added that about 600 women had also been trained to produce locally made nutritious food supplements, including Tom Brown.
The governor pledged the support of the North-West governors for the programme, promising to provide storage and distribution facilities while ensuring transparency and accountability in reaching beneficiaries.
The newly inaugurated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Academy is equipped with a fabrication laboratory, maker space, artificial intelligence-powered learning facilities, innovation laboratories, start-up incubation hubs, an auditorium and residential hostels to promote digital skills, research and entrepreneurship.
Its healthcare counterpart, the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Clinic, features a dedicated dialysis centre, operating theatre, maternity wards, continuous piped oxygen supply and renewable energy-powered systems to ensure uninterrupted delivery of critical medical services.
The projects come days after President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office to strengthen technology-driven healthcare delivery, medical research and data analytics across the country.
The event was attended by the seven North-West governors and their spouses, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Hajiya Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, as well as other government officials and traditional rulers.
