Oluremi Tinubu Launches ₦2.55bn “Flow with Confidence” Menstrual Health Programme Nationwide

Nigeria’s First Lady and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched a nationwide menstrual health intervention tagged “Flow with Confidence” to tackle period poverty and reduce school absenteeism among girls.

The programme, worth ₦2.55 billion, will see the distribution of 370,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads to schoolgirls across rural communities in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Each beneficiary is expected to receive a one-year supply.

At the Lagos launch, Senator Tinubu was represented by the Wife of the Governor and Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who coordinated the event as part of simultaneous flag-offs held in states including Imo, Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, and Kebbi.

According to the First Lady, the RHI Flow with Confidence initiative was conceived to promote menstrual health, knowledge, dignity, and confidence among schoolgirls, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. She stressed that poor menstrual hygiene has long contributed to school absenteeism and stigmatization, challenges the programme seeks to address.

The sanitary pads were procured from Uniglory Nigeria Limited, a Lagos-based manufacturing company located in Ikorodu, as part of efforts to encourage local production. The First Lady emphasized that the products are strictly for free distribution and must not be sold.

“This programme is about ensuring that no Nigerian schoolgirl has to miss her education or feel undignified because of something as natural as menstruation. We are restoring confidence and giving them a sense of worth,” Senator Tinubu said at the national unveiling.

State First Ladies and RHI coordinators are expected to oversee the transparent and equitable distribution of the pads in their respective states.

Observers say the programme marks a significant step in advancing gender equality, girl-child education, and women’s health advocacy in Nigeria, aligning with broader global goals for sustainable development.