FG to relaunch school feeding programme May 29 – Minister
The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme will be relaunched on May 29 to mark the second year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu administration.
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Wednesday during a meeting with development partners, NGOs, and government officials in Abuja.
The programme was initiated by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, but was suspended in 2024, a year into Tinubu administration, following the alleged diversion of N2.67 billion.
Both the minister and the coordinator of the programme were suspended by the president. Since then, there has been no progress with the investigation being carried out by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission.
A total of 9 million children benefited from the programme during the Buhari administration across 46,000 schools in 31 states.
Sununu highlighted the plan’s holistic design — providing daily nutritious meals using locally sourced ingredients to support both children’s health and local farming communities.
He stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and collaboration to sustain the programme and ensure its long-term success.
“The initiative aims to benefit 10 million children and could increase school enrolment by 20 per cent and academic performance by 15 per cent by the end of 2025,” he said.
The relaunch comes amid high inflation and projections that over 30 million Nigerians may face hunger, underscoring the urgency of swift and effective implementation.
“Our mission is to feed every public school pupil in Primary One to Three, nurturing their potential and building the nation’s future,” he stated.
The programme is also designed to reduce malnutrition, boost school retention rates, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
He urged community ownership, active parental involvement, and training for cooks, while noting the programme’s potential to empower women and smallholder farmers.
NAN
