A Borno housewife, Mrs. Veronica Kidafa Mbaya yesterday smiled home with a cash prize of N25million, courtesy of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI)’s #EveryHomeAGarden competition .She was named the winner by the National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Inititiative/ First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu at an event at the State House, Abuja.The RHI star prize was N20million. National Agricultural Development Fund (NADFUND) added N5million to support the competition.
“After careful deliberations, with gratitude to God, I am happy to announce that the winner of the Renewed Hope Initiative “#EveryHomeAGarden” Competition is Mrs. Veronica Kidafa Mbaya from Borno State. Congratulations to our winner”, the First Lady said.She said the other 19 contestants will receive N2.5 million each, including contributions from NADFUND, governors’ wives and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
The competition, launched on October 25, last year, is aimed to promote home gardening as part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s food security drive. According Mrs Tinubu, finalists were selected after thorough inspections by delegations led by wives of top government officials.State-level participants also received N1 million each for their entries, showcasing the broad engagement and impact of the initiative.The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has decided to adopt the #EveryHomeAGarden programme for nationwide implementation, reflecting its success.
The First Lady expressed gratitude to the ministry and NADFUND for their support.“In reviewing the entries, members of the RHI Governing Board sat down to thoroughly select the best three entries. Delegations headed by the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the wife of the Deputy Senate President, and wife of the Chief of Staff travelled to Borno, FCT and Sokoto to inspect the gardens before selecting the overall winner, as we have just seen in the documentary.
“We were all very impressed with the quality of entries, making it hard to choose a winner. As we have promised, the winner of the #EveryHomeAGarden Competition will be going home today with N20,000,000.00
“In addition, RHI Governing Board has graciously approved N1,000,000.00 to the finalists from each state who submitted entries to the RHI Office. I have also been informed that State First Ladies/RHI Coordinators will be giving an additional One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00).
“As you have heard from the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADFUND), Mr. Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, who has graciously announced an additional Five Million Naira (N5,000,000) to the winner and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) each to the other19 entries submitted, making it a total of Twenty-Five Million Naira (N25,000,000.00) to the winner and Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,500,000) each to the other contestants. We appreciate NADFUND for this support”.
The First Lady, however, urged participants to continue nurturing their gardens and inspire others to join the initiative, underscoring the importance of food security for all Nigerians.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu praised the women who participated for their dedication to growing healthy food for their families and communities.She encouraged women across the country to embrace home gardening, emphasizing its role in fostering food security and community well-being.She thanked governors’ wives/ RHI coordinators for their vital contributions.
Replying, Mrs. Mbaya, said she never expected to win the competition due to environmental challenges like heavy rain and drought experienced in Borno.She expressed pride in successfully growing corn and vegetables despite the difficulties.She also highlighted the demand for these vegetables and the joy she felt from providing for her family and community.
