The Federal Government has announced plans to extend the Homegrown School Feeding Programme to 20 million children by 2026, framing it as both an educational investment and a crucial national security initiative.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Friday during the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, held in Abuja.
The forum was organized by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria and other partners.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Office of the Vice President, Dr. Kolade Fasua, Shettima described the expansion under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as the most ambitious in the programme’s history.
He noted that the initiative, relaunched earlier this year, is designed to boost school enrollment, improve learning outcomes, and provide a stable 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. 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 said.
Shettima further explained that the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) system will ensure accountability and transparency, stressing 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 nationwide implementation could cost as much as one trillion naira, the Vice President emphasized that the project should not be viewed as a financial burden but as a strategic nation-building tool.
“Ambition requires investment, and the federal government has acknowledged that sustaining national coverage may require around one trillion naira.
“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, each hot meal served in schools acts as a barrier against violent recruitment, strengthens state presence, and provides hope for children in vulnerable communities.
“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.
“By bringing MSMEs, women, and vulnerable households into the financial system, we shrink the shadows in which insecurity grows. When local markets thrive, when farmers see guarantees in demand, when cooks receive fair and timely pay, and when women micro-entrepreneurs build assets, the drivers of conflict weaken,” Shettima explained.
He called on state governments, private investors, and development partners to collaborate with the federal government, emphasizing that the true impact of the programme would not only be seen in nourished classrooms but also in safer, more resilient communities.
In his keynote, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Tanko Sununu—represented by the Director of Social Development, Mr. Valentine Ezulu—urged the establishment of a National Homegrown School Feeding Act to ensure legal backing for the programme.
He also recommended the creation of a nutrition guideline in line with international standards to guarantee safe and healthy meals for schoolchildren.
“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.
“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,” Ezulu said.
What you should know
The Homegrown School Feeding Programme, relaunched under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to provide daily nutritious meals to schoolchildren while strengthening local economies.
By targeting 20 million children by 2026, the programme seeks to increase school enrollment, improve learning outcomes, and reduce vulnerability to insecurity in conflict-prone areas. Beyond feeding, it creates economic opportunities for farmers, women entrepreneurs, and micro-businesses, making it a dual investment in human capital and community stability.
Federal officials insist the initiative is not just a social intervention but a critical nation-building and security strategy for Nigeria’s future.
