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The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), the flagship humanitarian project of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday, distributed 10,000 customised disposable sanitary pads to schoolgirls across Niger State as part of a national menstrual hygiene intervention.
The distribution, held at Aliyu Muazu Memorial Primary School in Minna, is part of the rollout of the “Flow with Confidence” programme, which targets 370,000 free sanitary pads for students in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
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Speaking on behalf of the First Lady, the wife of the Niger State Governor and RHI State Coordinator, Fatima Bago, said the intervention seeks to empower girls with knowledge, dignity and confidence during menstruation.
“It is unacceptable that girls, especially in rural areas, miss school because they cannot afford sanitary pads,” she said, noting that some resort to unsafe alternatives that expose them to infection or force them out of school entirely.
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“No girl should choose between her education and her dignity.”
According to her, each state and the FCT will receive 10,000 sanitary pad packs under the scheme.
In Niger State, more than 50 schools are participating, with 10 students per school receiving a year-long supply of 12 packs each.
She added that the Initiative spent about N2.5 billion to procure the customised pads and urged corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians to support the programme to expand its reach.
The Special Adviser to the Niger Governor on Women Affirmative Action, Mary Noel-Berje, described the gesture as a bold step toward enhancing the dignity, confidence and wellbeing of schoolgirls, noting that improved menstrual hygiene contributes to better learning outcomes.
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Also speaking, the Project Coordinator of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Maimunat Tahir, said the intervention aligns with ongoing state and federal initiatives aimed at uplifting adolescent girls through scholarships, mentorship and safe-space training.
A lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Valda Martins, sensitised the students on the proper use and disposal of sanitary pads while emphasising good personal hygiene.
Some beneficiaries, including Favour Ayeni of Maryam Babangida Girls Science College and Shamesiya Garba of Government Day Secondary School, Maitumbi, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for the support.
Niger State Government is considering adopting an annual free-pad distribution programme to sustain improvements in menstrual hygiene and education for girls.
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