The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday told a World Bank delegation that the Federal Government would establish a properly structured school feeding programme before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.She said the President had been passionate about the initiative since his days as Governor of Lagos State.Mrs Tinubu gave the assurance while receiving a five-member World Bank delegation led by the Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Matthew Verghis, at the State House, Abuja.In a statement she signed on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, said the discussions centred on the World Bank’s Early Childhood Development programme and its five-year implementation roadmap for Nigeria.The statement was titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Receives World Bank Team.’It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. She said the President had been passionate about the initiative since his days as Governor of Lagos State.Mrs Tinubu gave the assurance while receiving a five-member World Bank delegation led by the Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Matthew Verghis, at the State House, Abuja.In a statement she signed on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, said the discussions centred on the World Bank’s Early Childhood Development programme and its five-year implementation roadmap for Nigeria.The statement was titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Receives World Bank Team.’It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. Mrs Tinubu gave the assurance while receiving a five-member World Bank delegation led by the Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Matthew Verghis, at the State House, Abuja.In a statement she signed on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, said the discussions centred on the World Bank’s Early Childhood Development programme and its five-year implementation roadmap for Nigeria.The statement was titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Receives World Bank Team.’It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. In a statement she signed on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, said the discussions centred on the World Bank’s Early Childhood Development programme and its five-year implementation roadmap for Nigeria.The statement was titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Receives World Bank Team.’It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. The statement was titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Receives World Bank Team.’It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. It quoted the First Lady as saying, “We are looking forward to school feeding. I can assure you that before we finish our tenure, it would have been properly established because even Mr President is very passionate about this, dating back to when he was Governor of Lagos State.”She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. She described early childhood development as critical not only to improving growth opportunities for children but also to shaping and sharpening their focus.She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. She assured the delegation that her office would continue to work with the wives of state governors to drive targeted interventions for children across the country.The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. The First Lady also highlighted the multi-sectoral approach already being deployed across the health, environment, and education sectors under the Tinubu administration, citing her collaboration with the Minister of Environment as one example.“The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. “The ministries have also been doing their best for the benefit of our nation, with environment and sanitation, because environmental cleanliness is very key.“I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. “I worked with the Minister of Environment to an extent, and that was why we started the Green Challenge,” she said.Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. Mrs Tinubu praised the administration’s cabinet for its commitment and affirmed that a whole-of-government approach was already in operation.Related NewsResidents find abandoned baby boy in KwaraBrazil opens market to Nigerian shea butter, hibiscus, sesame exportsMy life in danger — ‘Fake’ Agency DG“Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. “Mr President has gotten himself a wonderful team. They get it,” she said.She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. She also cited the administration’s tuberculosis sensitisation campaign as an example of the kind of public health communication she intended to extend to child welfare.Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. Verghis, in his remarks, described Nigeria as one of the World Bank’s most important global partners and said the bank’s success in meeting its internal targets depended significantly on Nigeria’s progress.He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. He said, “Nigeria is a very important partner for the World Bank, and her success is crucial for the World Bank to achieve its targets.“We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. “We have targets for healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access. For these various things, if Nigeria does not succeed, the World Bank is not succeeding.”The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. The World Bank country director explained that the Early Childhood Development strategy encompasses improving nutrition and healthy living from pregnancy to age five, noting that investments during that period yield strong annual returns by enhancing cognitive skills, reducing long-term healthcare costs and breaking multi-generational poverty cycles.He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. He added, “Every five or six years, we reframe our programmes in Nigeria. Nigeria is, unsurprisingly, one of the World Bank’s largest partners, and our office here is one of the largest in the world.”Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. Verghis acknowledged that the long-term nature of ECD returns made political commitment harder to sustain but said that was precisely where leadership was indispensable.According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. According to him, “One downside is that the returns come much later. Sometimes, not everybody is willing to take that long-term perspective. It requires leadership to make that happen. The returns don’t come quickly, and therefore, it requires leadership.”He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. He called on the First Lady to use her platform to fast-track a multi-sectoral approach to the programme, noting the strong alignment between her ongoing campaign against child malnutrition and the World Bank’s programming in education, nutrition, and sanitation.The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach. The delegation visited the First Lady’s office to brief her on the World Bank’s early childhood development programme for Nigeria over the next five years, which is currently in its technical and analytical phase, ahead of full implementation through a whole-of-government approach.