INTERVIEW: Yetunde Adeniji discusses plans for the relaunch of the School Feeding Programme

…partnership with NITDA for technology-driven monitoring and payment

Yetunde Adeniji, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on School Feeding, shares insights into the administration’s plans to relaunch the national home-grown school feeding programme.

In this interview with Western Post’s Kunle Sanni, she highlights the government’s strategy to strengthen partnerships with state governments, donors, and development partners to ensure a more effective rollout.

Adeniji also discusses the role of technology in enhancing program monitoring and ensuring prompt payment to food vendors.

The presidential adviser also spoke about how Osun State is leading the efforts of other state governments to feed the students without federal intervention.

Excerpts:

Western Post: Tell us more about the administration’s plans to relaunch the school feeding programme.

Adeniji: It has been approved and is already within budget. The programme is domiciled under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. That’s for the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

There are other school feeding initiatives that also cut across, but the one that is most prominent and popular is the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme because of its grassroots nature. It’s under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Now that there are two ministers there, the Senior Minister and the Minister for State, there is also the National Social Investment Programme Agency, where the programme is domiciled.

National Social Investment Programme, NSIPA, is now an agency, and that is where the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme is based. So you have the cash transfer, you have the GEEP programmes, and other programmes like Empower, and all of that—so that is where Homegrown is domiciled.

Now what we are doing is working together with their own strategy and their own plans. I know that they are working day and night to create a sustainable implementation model for the programme itself. As it is now, because of the suspension of the programme in the past, not much was done.

What my office was advocating for at the time was for partners to come on board. You see, this programme is not something that the federal government can handle alone. It’s a programme that everybody, including state governments, partners, development partners, donors—everybody has to come together to achieve or enhance the programme itself.

So what we did, what we have been doing, is getting NGOs to feed in the most vulnerable areas within the country. For example, in those states, we have an agency, an NGO called the International Centre for Economic Development. I think they want to kickstart also in states like Zamfara.

I know in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, there is a foundation called AMAA Foundation, if I’m not mistaken, and they too are doing feeding programmes in Kaduna. So all these NGOs, as part of their corporate social responsibility, have targeted vulnerable communities. These vulnerable communities are where they have targeted feeding.

And this is the encouragement that we have been giving to such organisations to come and do. So while the federal government has its plans towards the programme and implementation, they have to work side by side with the state government, and the state also has to have its plans onboard. So as it is, I am fully aware that the Minister is on top of it.

The National Investment Programme Agency too is also on top of it. And I’m aware that they also have a programme manager for the school feeding programme. I’m sure that they are working together in the ministry to come up with an implementation plan to kickstart.

In no time, it will start up from that side. But we also have to give credit to the people who are already doing it on the ground.

Western Post: They are doing what?

Adeniji: Feeding children in schools.

Western Post: Could you please clarify whether you are referring to the state government or the federal?

Adeniji: The state. Usually, what happened in the past was that the federal government does a part, and the state government is supposed to do a part also. The state that is feeding throughout now is Osun State, to my knowledge.

I know Enugu too; I heard they are doing something similar. But Osun State is the leader right now when it comes to state governments that are passionate about this programme.

Western Post: Is this initiative included among the programmes that the federal government provides for boarding schools?

Adeniji: No, it’s not for boarding schools. It’s the proper school feeding programme.

Western Post: For primary schools?

Adeniji: Yes, so they are feeding primary 1, 2, and 3. So usually in the past, the state government would do 1, 2, and 3, and then the federal government would do 1, 2, and 3, and the state government would do 4, 5, and 6. So it’s a combined effort between the state and federal. This time around, I don’t see it being far-fetched from that same plan.

Because the programme was under suspension at the time, we were advocating that the state government should basically kickstart in their state. And when the federal government kicks off, then they will just synergize. So some states went ahead to do that.

Kaduna too was doing its best at some point. The state government was doing well. Osun State, as I said, if you go there, they call their own meals home meals.

Western Post: Osun State?

Adeniji: That’s Adeleke, if I’m not mistaken. So they have their meals, and it’s thriving well. They are working together with the local governments, and they are doing what is expected to be done in the state.

So we are encouraging more state governments to follow suit, pending the time the federal government is about to kickstart. But now that the budget has been allocated and there is light at the end of the tunnel, we are advocating for state governments to fully understand the challenges concerning inflation, which is not only subject to Nigeria.

Every other country is going through one issue or another. So we are encouraging the state government to also come up with the same model. As I said earlier, we are also encouraging NGOs and development partners to come on board. For the NGOs that are doing exceedingly well now, we should also give them their due credit. We should encourage them to do more. They have been doing exceptionally well in the states. Hello, International has done quite well in Jos and they are moving to Oyo.

Western Post: Thank you. I understand that the programme was designed to improve school enrollment. However, in Yobe State, teachers reported reduced enrollment and attendance since the programme stopped. In Katsina, children didn’t attend school on Fridays because the federal government only provided snacks instead of meals. How do you plan to solve that problem?

Adeniji: The programme itself is called the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme. And “Homegrown” means it’s based on what you grow within your environment.

Don’t forget, this particular programme was brought about for the nutritional purpose of ensuring that kids are well-nourished. If you check records, you will find that a nourished mind for a child is very important, especially for children in their formative years. I know from age zero, in fact, from inception to a thousand days, if I’m not mistaken, for the Ministry of Health, this is the formative years of the child.

So it’s very, very important that the child has the required nutrition to be able to function properly within society itself. So the programme itself focuses mainly on nutrition. And yes, school enrollment and retention are part of it.

But the number one aim is, first and foremost, to ensure healthy nutrition. Yes, well-nourished children, nutrition in kids. Because if you have healthy children within a society, then you have a stronger society to function.

With the UN briefing the other day, where they said one in three children are severely malnourished, it’s a source of concern, and that’s why the programme is important. I know that the Vice President’s Office too has been strongly advocating for nutrition in children, and that’s why he is the Chairman of the Nutrition Council of Nigeria.

They have been working day and night to ensure that this is known in our communities. That’s why you have the nutrition council committee that is working day and night with relevant ministries and all of that. So coming back to what you were saying about some places giving snacks, they are also, to my understanding, what they call healthy snacks.

These snacks also have a homegrown aspect to them. For instance, I was talking to someone the other day, and I remembered that there are some snacks that we ate as kids growing up that are not food, but they are snacks, and they are very, very nutritious. I remember when I was growing up; I used to love to eat Wara (Local Cheese).

Wara itself is not a full-course meal, but Wara itself is highly nutritious, you understand? So these are the sorts of things. I remember that I was told that when balancing a diet, especially with children, you should always also give them healthy snacks occasionally.

You have soya beans and milk that are also highly nutritious, and all of that. So these can also be packaged. It does not detract from the nutritional aspect, and it has an indigenous homegrown feel to it.

Kids are usually given food during the week, and then maybe on Fridays, which are always half-days, they package such snacks to give children to take home, which is highly commendable, and it still falls under the nutritional guidelines for kids.

Western Post: Okay, but not in the same process.

Adeniji: Now, this, as I said, I don’t want to speak on behalf of the ministry because the ministry also has its own plans.

What we are supposed to do from our office is to monitor their implementation plans for the ministry, as it regards the programme. Not just the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, but every other ministry that has the feeding programme also involved. You will be aware that the Ministry of Education also has a feeding aspect to it.

Yes, they do. Yes, you also have in the Ministry of Agriculture, there is also a feeding arm, because if you are well aware, what we also encourage in the programme is school gardens. We encourage teaching farming and teaching children to grow crops.

With this, you would need the Ministry of Agriculture to be involved when it comes to school gardens and all of that. The Ministry of Budget and Planning also plays a key role in what the programme is actually doing. The programme, I have always said, is not just a programme that is supposed to be handled by one body.

It interconnects, if you understand what I mean. It interconnects with various ministries to bring out a holistic view of what the programme is supposed to be about. For the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, as it is right now, I am well aware that they are about to have a stakeholder meeting to bring out their implementation plan.

What we are supposed to do is look at that plan critically to see how it intends to reach the beneficiaries as it is supposed to, and ensure that the nutritional aspects are not cut off. Also, with the programme, we are trying to see how we can include other aspects. We still have children who are in displaced settings.

We have children who are in IDP camps. We have children who are in Almajiri settings. These are children that we are trying to see how we can also include in schooling, especially under the Almajiri settings.

We want them to study properly the main course of learning.

Western Post: Is this new administration trying to include them in the home school feeding programme?

Adeniji: We are trying to see how we can create room to expand the school feeding programme to bring them in.

If you would agree with me, we have a case of out-of-school children that is growing rapidly. If you look at the demographics of where these children are, you will see that some of them are in the Almajiri settings, not just the out-of-school settings. You will see that we have children that are in IDP camps. These are children who have been displaced from their homes. The government has moved them to IDP camps now. In some of these camps that I visited, they have schooling facilities there.

But some of these children don’t attend school because they feel that, now that they have been displaced, it is better for them to help their parents by hustling outside. We need to also look for innovative ways to ensure that these children attend school and can return to normalcy depending on the time that they go back to their various homes.

We need to include children who are in mechanic villages. You see them in markets and all of that. These are the kids that we are also focused on bringing back to school.

That is the reason why we are saying that it is a holistic effort. It is not something that the government can do by itself. That is why we are engaging all these partners.

Western Post: The Almajiri educational environment differs significantly from traditional school settings. Will the home-grown school feeding programme be implemented to provide food directly to these students?

Adeniji: As it is now, you have a commission, which is the National Commission for the Almajiri and out-of-school children. There is a commission headed by the Executive Secretary, if I am not mistaken.

I have forgotten his name. We have had several meetings with them. They have come up with a plan to see how we can work together with the commission to introduce feeding to those Almajiri settings. If you agree with me, the reason why they are on the streets most of the time is begging for food. What we are trying to do is see how we can also bring that aspect in. That is why we have been working with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Budget and Planning to see how those kids can be fed within their settings. We also went into partnership with NITDA to see how we can also bring in technology in all of this.

So that we will be able to, especially in the Almajiri setting, introduce technology as part of their curriculum. If you have the feeding element and the technological element, you have them seated and concentrating on whatever it is that they are studying. So that they don’t need to go outside to beg for food, if you understand. So that is the plan that this office has developed.

We have had several meetings with development partners and NGOs for that. We are working tirelessly to ensure the government has plans for that as well. As I said earlier, to ensure that the government includes them in the programme.

Now the homegrown school feeding programme, as you said, is large and cumbersome. But it needs all hands to be part of it. So if the federal government is feeding grades 1 to 3, and the state government will be feeding grades 4 to 6, you see the problem of enrollment will reduce because children will be encouraged to come to school for the feeding aspect.

By doing this, it also helps them learn better. It also helps the parents, as it were. If we are going to do this, we will need everybody.

We will need the media; we will need everyone on the ground to be able to ensure that this process runs smoothly. As I said, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, has come up with a template.

It is that template that will be shown to us, and we will scrutinize it as it is. All of this will be done in the next week or so if I am not mistaken.

Western Post: In the past, the Office of the Special Advisor for School Feeding organized, paid for, and monitored the programme. In 2019, the programme shifted to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and issues arose, leading to its suspension. Now, your office will focus on monitoring. Who will implement, pay, and monitor the programme—the Ministry or the Agency?

Adeniji: So now, as you said, in the beginning, the programme was domiciled under the Presidency. The Presidency was in charge of monitoring, payment, implementation, and all of that. At some point, the programme was moved to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and it was created as an agency. That is where you now have the National Coordinator. So now it has moved out of the Presidency to the Ministry.

Under the Ministry, under the National Coordinator, you have the Programme Managers who are working under the National Coordinator. So that is how it is now. It has now been turned into an agency.

But because of Mr. President’s keen interest in the programme, that is why my office exists. Knowing fully well that this particular programme needs proper supervision is where I come in to ensure this. Not just for the supervision aspect alone, we need funding also. Right? So we are talking with partners to bring in external funding to the programme. So that it will be sustainable and viable, and it will outlive even this present administration. It would be a system that would run on its own perfectly with a very good structure. There is nothing that they bring out now that has to come to the Presidency.

Whatever structure they have on the ground has to be vetted by our office also to ensure that it is a proper tool that should be given to the children and beneficiaries. Don’t forget that the programme has a value chain. Because not only are we talking about children, we are also talking about the mothers and the cooks. We are also talking about the farmers.

All of this has to be noted within the structure of dispensation and all of that. So if we are talking about who gets to do what, the National Coordinator is the one that should ensure that they have their data. Especially from states because they have other programme managers in the states. Yes, that is part of this particular programme.

Those programme managers are the front bearers of the programme within the states. They are the ones that will be in charge of bringing the data as it regards the schools and the students to the state. The federal government is supposed to verify this information coming from the state to ascertain that, yes, this information is genuine. We also, from our office, would ensure that all of that process is genuine so that we are not paying ghost workers or ghost children, if you understand what I mean.

At every point in time, we give reports to Mr. President on the programme and its success. As I said, it’s a programme that Mr. President is passionate about. When it comes to development partners and advocating for the programme, this office is fully in charge of advocating for this programme to ensure that partners are on board. We aim to give credibility to the programme, even to the members of the public. That is the reason why we took up the campaign in the beginning to sensitize members of the public to inform them about the programme. Whatever issues the programme had in the past are past. This is a new regime.

Mr. President is extremely passionate about ensuring that children are off the streets and back in school. That is even the reason why the programme has been maintained. That is the reason why there is a budget allocation for it right now as we speak.

So it shows you his passion for this particular programme. It’s unlike any other intervention programme we have because we are talking about children and their future.

That is the reason why we are here today to ensure that this goes well. One of the things that this office, again, is particularly focused on is the introduction of a proper technologically advanced system for the programme. So it runs smoothly, yes, for monitoring.

So it operates from point A to point B to point C; everything is transparent. Everything is documented through technology. So even if tomorrow you have questions about this particular process, it’s easy for you to go and see it.

Western Post: Many would say one of the main issues that marred the programme was payment and allegations of corruption, despite all the things put in place, like inviting the DSS, inviting the EFCC, ICPC, and the rest. But still, most of the cooks did not get paid. Okay, and that was what led to the suspension.

Adeniji: No, that was not really what led to the suspension.

Western Post: I spoke to the School Feeding programme coordinator in Adamawa. I was informed that people were not paid. So, I think that was part of the issue. Although, maybe there were other problems involved as well.

Adeniji: This was before this administration?

Western Post: Yes!

Adeniji: From my understanding at the time, there were… You see, when the programme moved from the presidency to the ministry, we would agree that at some point, there were bound to be issues. In the sense that we were dealing with handover issues; we were trying to understand things.

Whatever the loophole was occurred during that transition. You would also agree with me that not long after that, COVID-19 issues arose. So as soon as the COVID era came into play, everything else was sidelined, leaving those pending issues unresolved. You understand? Then we saw how the life of the programme went. Not long after that, the elections happened, and here we are today.

So as it is now, coming into the office, I did my research. Yes, we understood that these were the issues that existed. Now, as I said, the past is past.

How do we move forward from those issues? How do we take off from where whatever happened? You understand?

Western Post: I’m talking about the new plan now.

Adeniji: The new plan. I’m getting to that. So when it comes to these issues of payment or no payment, once there is a structure… And that is the reason I was talking about the technological aspect. Once there is a technology that has been integrated into the system, it makes it difficult for any issues. You know that on the 13th of every month now, for instance, vendors are supposed to be paid.

It’s already in the system. So every 13th of that particular month, whoever needs to be paid will get paid. Mind you, as it was before, payments were done directly to vendors from finance, if I’m not mistaken.

Was it finance or budget and planning? Yes, it was finance that was doing it. I don’t think that system has changed.

But what is going to change is that it will be scrutinized more, and it will be monitored properly. Once there is funding available for it, whoever needs to be paid at that time will be paid. But all of this, as I said, we will still need to see what the ministry has in store.

Maybe the ministry has a new method, for instance, of a more sustainable payment method. We don’t know. You understand? But until they present their work plan, and we scrutinize it, we cannot say, okay, this is how they are going to proceed.

For me personally, the ultimate goal of all of this is to ensure that children are fed—not just fed, but fed well. You can also agree with me that even problems were not just coming from the federal government at the time; even in the states, most of the food that they were providing to the children was below standard. If you understand, back then, from reports I received, I heard that there were some states where the food was unacceptable, and in some states, they didn’t even provide food. You understand what I mean? So the problem also that we have is from the grassroots itself. The monitoring from the grassroots has to be strong this time around.

We cannot just leave it to the federal government to be responsible for everything. If people within the localities cannot assist the federal government, there is no way this programme will run seamlessly. That is why those School Feeding Monitoring Committees (SVMCs) are very important.

We need a proper monitoring tool. Parents this time around need to see what their own children are eating. If it is below standard, they should report the case and let the federal government know.

Do you understand what I mean? If they are being fed well, you should also report that this food is coming in and is also acceptable, so that the federal government can understand and know. That is why the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) unit this time around has to be significantly improved.

Western Post: The Monitoring and Evaluation Unit will be under what agency?

Adeniji: It’s not about the agency. We are doing monitoring and evaluation. It’s under our supervision, under the presidency. You understand? It has to be done properly. Even the ministry itself would also have its own monitoring and evaluation unit. However, the presidency’s monitoring and evaluation unit has to be enhanced to inform Mr. President about how the programme is progressing.

We need partners too because you cannot monitor yourself, if you understand what I mean. You need everyone to be able to say, okay, yes, this is going well. If there is a problem, we will highlight that this is where the issue lies and how we can solve such problems.

Western Post: One of the programme’s great successes is that it pays the cooks directly into their bank accounts. This has also ensured that cooks who never had bank accounts have now opened them. Will this be sustained?

Adeniji: It should be sustained. It’s one of the reasons why there is to be a lot of mentoring, especially for those women cooks.

Now, it’s part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ensuring that women are empowered. Yes, in some states, we found out that even in those processes, when those women were paid, especially when they took the money home, due to a spouse or other circumstances, they didn’t have control over their payment. So this time around, even before the programme commences, there has to be training for these women cooks to understand how it will work.

Most of these women have never opened an account; they’ve never walked into a bank before. So we’ll be providing extensive training for these women cooks to understand what this is about and how payments will be made for them. This way, in case they agree with me, most of the cooks have their families. This will not be a forever thing.

They need to understand that after the programme, they can start doing something on their own, so they can also provide for their families in one way or another. This programme encourages that.

Western Post: Will former cooks who benefited from the programme be included in the new group of cooks when the programme begins?

Adeniji: I don’t know. As I said, there are new governments now. There are new governors in some states. Most of the states where this programme was happening have a new system. Some of the states even have a new party in power. So now, there are state programme managers.

Those state programme managers are the ones that would bring information and data about these cooks and all of that to the federal government. The federal government would be going to the states to verify all the cooks, all the aggregators, and all the people involved.

Western Post: One challenge that many Nigerians would say potentially undermined the programme was the alleged attempts by some assembly members to secure preferential treatment for their constituencies. Activists argued that these actions compromised the programme’s core principle of ensuring fairness for all. This raises the question of whether the programme was unduly politicized.

Adeniji: We don’t intend to politicize the programme. The programme is not intended to be politicized. The main aim of the programme is to focus on the children, to ensure nutrition, and also to understand the value chain that the programme adds to society. But I know recruitment for the cooks.

That’s what I’m saying. It’s not a situation where anybody is planning to politicize anything. If anything, representatives or national assembly members are supposed to help advocate for the programme and also advocate for the sustainability of the programme. We will be engaging with most of these members to see how they can contribute to the programme within their constituencies, if you understand what I mean.

So this is not a political game anymore. This is a programme that is intended for the masses. Rightfully, it should go to the masses. We will need the input of the national assembly, quite all right. But we will need them to advocate for us, for the programme, even within their constituencies.

Western Post: Since the beginning of this administration and your new role, what challenges have you encountered with planning and implementing the programme? Also, when do you anticipate the programme will start?

Adeniji: So let me answer that question first. Regarding when it is going to kick-start, already there is an approved budget. The suspension has been lifted. These are clear signs that the programme will start any moment from now. That is one.

Two, when it comes to challenges being faced, everybody faces challenges. But how you rise above those challenges is what matters. And that is what we did.

We met with religious leaders, we met with lawyers, and we engaged with all the stakeholders. I haven’t encountered any significant challenges. I have remained steadfast in addressing most of the issues that have come my way. Dialogue is always key to anything.

One of the challenges, or so-called challenges, that we faced in the beginning was trying to prove the credibility of the programme back to the masses. People had emotions and feelings. The best thing to do in such cases is to sit down with these people and listen.

Understand where they are coming from and explain to them that although it may appear to have been problematic in the past, this time around, this is how it’s going to be. We would need you as an individual to be part of it, as you feel it should go this time around.

That was what we did. We went to the states. We met with religious leaders and engaged with all the grassroots stakeholders to ensure that we brought back the consciousness of the programme itself. We tried to involve people at the grassroots level, saying that this time around, we need you to be part of the monitoring for the programme when it returns to your community.

That is how it is supposed to be on a national scale.

Western Post: How many states have you traveled to?

Adeniji: I’ve been to several states.

I haven’t been to the Southeast yet. I haven’t touched it there. And some states in the Southwest. But up north, I have been to most of the northern states, especially where I see that we have the most vulnerable communities. We’ve been to Katsina, Jigawa, and Zamfara. We’re planning on going to Sokoto and Kebbi. Those are for the northern states.

For the Southeast, we have been in talks with some of their leaders. I’ll be visiting the states very soon. We will be going to Imo and Bayelsa. We’re in talks with an NGO to go to Bayelsa.

For the Southwest, you know, we have the champion of the school feeding programme itself, which is Osun State, but we’re already doing it anyway. We are in discussions with the programme manager for Lagos. We’ve been in talks with them.

It is something that one has dedicated time and energy to. We are still doing it to the best of our capability and using all the resources we have.