By Deborah Nnamdi
The Federal Government says it plans to scale up the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to reach about 50 million primary school pupils across Nigeria by 2026.
Dr. Aderemi Adebowale, National Programme Manager of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), disclosed this in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
She explained that the expansion will cover all levels of primary education, from Primary 1 to Primary 6, while gradually extending to out-of-school children.
“We are working to include pupils in the early years – Primary 1 to 3, as well as Primary 4 to 6 – in the school feeding programme, alongside out-of-school children, which we are integrating step by step. By 2026, we are looking at feeding close to 50 million pupils nationwide,” Adebowale said.
According to her, the cost per child is projected to range between N500 and N1,000 per meal, enough to provide a nutritious and appealing plate. She added that the agency would manage costs by working closely with smallholder farmers, aggregators, supply chain partners, and other stakeholders to ensure fair pricing and efficiency.
The initiative builds on the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Project, launched on May 27, 2025, which targeted 20 million out-of-school and underserved children.
Adebowale noted that the NHGSFP is a key component of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), implemented in collaboration with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education and the National Identity Management Commission. The programme aims to improve child nutrition, boost school enrolment, and enhance learning outcomes, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
The Federal Government allocated N100 billion to the NHGSFP in the 2025 budget to sustain and expand the initiative. Beyond improving education and health outcomes, the programme also supports local agriculture by sourcing food from smallholder farmers and strengthening local food supply chains.
