The Nigerian government has announced a major expansion of its school feeding programme, with the goal of reaching 20 million children by the year 2026. Officials have described the plan as both a crucial investment in education and an important national security strategy.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the new target at a policy forum in Abuja. The event was hosted by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion alongside groups like ActionAid Nigeria.
Shettima, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr. Kolade Fasua, said the move was the boldest expansion of the scheme yet. He explained that the programme is designed to improve school enrolment and learning, while also creating a reliable daily market for smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local food processors.
“This year, the federal government relaunched the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, signalling a decisive return to scale and systemisation,” Shettima said. “The programme is designed to boost enrollment and attendance, improve academic performance, and raise smallholder incomes through stable local procurement.”
“Alongside the core programme, the government has inaugurated the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope School Feeding Project, an expansion that targets out-of-school and highly vulnerable children, with the ambition of reaching up to 20 million by 2026”, he added.
The Vice President also stated that the National Identity Management Commission’s system would be used to ensure transparency, so that “real pupils receive real meals, and every naira spent works twice—once for the child, and once for the local economy.”
While admitting that the nationwide plan could cost as much as one trillion naira, Shettima argued that it should be seen as a vital investment for the nation’s future.
“But this is not a cost. It is a nation-building investment with high social, economic, and security return. This is why the school feeding must be understood not just as a social intervention but as a national security investment”, he stressed.
According to him, every meal served in a classroom is also a defence against children being recruited by violent groups, a sign of the state’s presence, and a source of hope in areas prone to conflict.
“A child with knowledge is less vulnerable to exploitation. A farmer linked to a market is less vulnerable to despair. Communities where youth are engaged are less vulnerable to insecurity,” he said.
He called on development partners, private investors, and state governments to support the federal government’s vision. He said success would be measured not just in fewer hungry children in schools, but also in safer and stronger communities.
At the same event, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Tanko Sununu, called for a new law to provide legal backing for the feeding programme. He was represented by Mr. Valentine Ezulu, a Director in the ministry.
“We must work towards enacting a National Home Grown School Feeding Act that guarantees continuity across political cycles, while clearly defining federal, state, and local roles within a cost-sharing framework,” Ezulu said.
He also recommended “a National Nutrition Guideline for Home Grown School Meals, aligned with international best practices, must be developed and enforced to guarantee safe, balanced, and quality meals for every child”.
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