The Federal Government has announced an ambitious plan to expand its Homegrown School Feeding Programme with the goal of reaching 20 million children by 2026.
Vice President Kashim Shettima revealed this target during the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Renewed Hope National Home Grown School Feeding Programme held in Abuja.
The initiative is being positioned not merely as an educational investment but as a comprehensive national security strategy.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr. Kolade Fasua, Shettima described the expansion as the boldest in the history of the intervention program.
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The revitalized initiative, which was relaunched earlier this year under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to address multiple challenges simultaneously. It is designed to boost school enrollment and attendance, improve academic performance, and create a stable daily market for smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local food processors.
In a significant expansion of the program’s reach, the government has introduced the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope School Feeding Project specifically targeting out-of-school and highly vulnerable children.
To ensure transparency and efficiency in implementation, the program will integrate with the National Identity Management Commission system, guaranteeing that resources reach intended beneficiaries.
The Vice President emphasized that every naira invested would deliver dual benefits—nourishing children while simultaneously stimulating local economies.
While acknowledging the substantial financial commitment required, estimated at approximately one trillion naira to sustain nationwide coverage, Shettima framed the expenditure as a crucial nation-building investment rather than a financial burden. The program represents a multi-faceted approach to addressing educational access, food security, and economic empowerment while contributing to national development goals.
cc: Punch NG
