In a bold and symbolic move to mark President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary in office, the Federal Government has announced the relaunch of the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP), targeting 10 million primary school children across Nigeria.
Despite a checkered history riddled with high-profile fraud and mismanagement, the administration insists the revamped programme will be a game-changer in the battle against child hunger, malnutrition, and low school enrolment.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, made the disclosure during a high-level strategy meeting with development partners, NGOs, and government officials in Abuja on Wednesday.
“This is not just a feeding programme,” Sununu stated. “It’s a national investment in our children’s future. We aim to feed 10 million pupils and, in doing so, increase school enrolment by 20% and academic performance by 15% by 2025.”
He noted that the initiative would provide daily, nutritious meals to pupils in Primary One to Three, sourced from local farmers and women-led cooperatives to bolster grassroots economies and empower rural women.
N100 Billion Fueling the Vision
A staggering N100 billion has been earmarked in the 2025 federal budget to bankroll the ambitious programme. National Programme Manager, Aderemi Adebowale, disclosed that the restructured version comes with critical innovations to curb fraud, including QR-coded supply chains, real-time tracking systems, and rigorous health assessments by nutritionists and supervisors.
“All pupils will be digitally registered and tracked in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission,” she added, pledging strict quality control and transparent implementation.
The relaunch has received pledges of support from development bodies like the AMA Foundation and private sector stakeholders, including global packaging firm Tetra Pak. These partners have committed to providing technical expertise and logistical backing to ensure the programme’s effectiveness and sustainability.
According to the CEO of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Badamasi Lawal—represented at the event by Binta Musa—the relaunch is a “turning point” in Nigeria’s social welfare framework.
“This marks a renewed commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those linked to zero hunger, quality education, and poverty reduction,” she said.
However, the relaunch is not without controversy. The original National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme was plagued by systemic corruption that threatened to derail its noble goals.
One of the most damning revelations came in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown when the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered ₦2.67 billion—meant for school feeding—siphoned into private accounts, despite schools being shut nationwide.
In 2022, the Nasarawa State government discovered 349 phantom schools fraudulently registered as beneficiaries. This exposed deep-rooted issues of accountability and raised doubts about the integrity of the system.
Other recurring issues included food vendors vanishing after being paid, widespread delivery of substandard meals, and non-transparent procurement processes riddled with inflated contracts and irregular vendor selections.
With fresh promises of transparency, enhanced monitoring, and community ownership, the Tinubu administration insists it has learned from past failures. Yet critics argue that without stringent oversight and prosecution of past offenders, history is bound to repeat itself.
For now, the nation watches—hopeful yet wary—as the Tinubu government bets big on redemption and relaunches one of Nigeria’s most ambitious and controversial social intervention programmes.
PIONEER NEWS 