FG inaugurates feeding programme for 20m out-of-school children

By Adeola Ogunrinde

The Federal Government has launched the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Project to reach 20 million out-of-school and informal children by 2026. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, unveiled the initiative on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yilwatda said the programme, implemented through the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP), is in partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). It aims to provide a structured, safe, and nourishing learning environment.

The National Programme Manager, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said RH-NHGSFP currently feeds over 10.2 million pupils in Primary 1–3 across Nigeria’s 774 LGAs. Under the new plan, it will target marginalized children in border communities, IDP camps, and informal settlements through a community-led education and feeding model.

“This historic event marks two milestones — President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary in office and a renewed national resolve to support inclusive education and social protection,” Adebowale said.

She explained that while RH-NHGSFP leads the feeding component, the Almajiri Commission will provide teaching, and NIMC will handle identity verification. “We’re expanding our mandate beyond enrolled pupils to reach children not yet in school,” she added.

The National Coordinator of NSIPA, Dr. Badamasi Lawal, said the initiative has evolved from a nutrition programme to a key instrument for human capital development and social resilience. He said it would reduce the number of out-of-school children and ease transitions within the education system.

“With this Alternate Education Programme, we are reaching children in displaced camps, informal settlements, and among nomadic groups. This is not charity—it’s intentional governance,” Lawal stated.

The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, and the President’s Technical Adviser on Economic Inclusion, Dr. Nurudeen Zauro, both reaffirmed the government’s commitment to poverty reduction and economic inclusion through initiatives like the feeding programme.