The federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has concluded plans to relaunch the national school feeding program.
This was made known by the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, during a meeting with development partners, NGOs and government officials on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Abuja.
He said the programme will be relaunched in May 2025 as the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP) and will be part of events marking President Tinubu’s second year in office.
“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 2025.
“Our mission is to feed every public school pupil in Primary One to Three, nurturing their potential and building the nation’s future,” Dr. Sununu said.
Budget Allocation
The National Programme Manager of RH-NHGSFP, Dr Aderemi Adebowale, said the programme is an investment in the nation’s future.
She said the aim extends beyond feeding — it also includes empowering women, youth, and farmers through inclusive and sustainable practices.
Adebowale revealed that the government has allocated ₦100 billion in the 2025 budget to scale up reach and deepen community impact.
She said, “The updated RH-NHGSFP will provide daily meals to public primary pupils using food grown and sourced locally.’’
She also appealed to stakeholders to key into the project.
According to her, the programme will fully integrate women, youth, cooks, and farmers, offering targeted training and income opportunities.
Dr. Adebowale said collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission will ensure all beneficiaries are registered and tracked.
She said, “Nutritionists, health professionals, and supervisors will monitor food quality and assess pupil health and programme outcomes.
“The focus remains on local sourcing, especially through women-led cooperatives, aiming to reduce rural poverty by 40 per cent.’’
Naija News recalls President Tinubu had in January 2024 suspended the school feeding programme, administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), as part of a probe into alleged irregularities in the management of the agency and its activities.
The President also suspended the chief executive officer (CEO) of NSIPA, Halima Shehu, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over allegations of financial misconduct.
The programme’s implementation was marred by widespread controversy and corruption allegations under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
