Photo File: Vice President, Kashim Shettima

The Federal Government has set a target of reaching 20 million pupils through the Homegrown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) by 2026, describing it as both an educational investment and a national security strategy.

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced this on Friday at the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, held in Abuja. The forum was hosted 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 said the expansion under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda was the boldest in the history of the intervention.

“This year, the federal government relaunched the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, signalling a decisive return to scale and systemisation,” he said.
“Alongside the core programme, the government has inaugurated the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope School Feeding Project, targeting out-of-school and highly vulnerable children, with the ambition of reaching up to 20 million by 2026.”

According to Shettima, the programme is designed to improve enrollment, attendance, and academic performance while also creating a stable market for smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local processors.

He noted that transparency would be strengthened through the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database to ensure that “real pupils receive real meals, and every naira spent works twice—once for the child, and once for the local economy.”

While acknowledging that sustaining nationwide coverage could cost as much as ₦1 trillion, the Vice President argued that the initiative should be viewed not as a financial burden but as a nation–building investment.

“Every hot meal served in a classroom acts as a barrier against recruitment into violent groups, a reinforcement of the state’s presence, and a source of hope in conflict-prone communities,” he said.
“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.”

He urged state governments, private investors, and development partners to align with the federal government’s vision, stressing that the impact of the scheme should be measured not only in hunger-free classrooms but also in safer, more resilient communities.

In his keynote address, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Tanko Sununu, represented by Director of Social Development, Mr. Valentine Ezulu, called for a National Homegrown School Feeding Act to provide legal backing and continuity for the programme.

“We must work towards enacting a National Homegrown School Feeding Act that guarantees continuity across political cycles, while clearly defining federal, state, and local roles within a cost-sharing framework,” Ezulu said.
“A National Nutrition Guideline for Homegrown School Meals, aligned with international best practices, must also be developed to guarantee safe, balanced, and quality meals for every child.”