FG to Relaunch School Feeding Programme - Wale Edun

The Nigerian federal government has announced plans to relaunch the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.

This initiative, which provides meals to students, is designed to increase school attendance and improve the overall health of young learners.

The announcement was made by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education.

The meeting focused on addressing the persistent issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria, a challenge that has long plagued the nation.

"The federal government is dedicated to tackling critical issues through innovative initiatives like the 'Home-Grown School Feeding Program' and the 'Secretariat for Financing Safe Schools'," Edun stated.

He emphasized that the relaunch of the school feeding programme would not only improve students' health and well-being but also incentivize them to remain in school, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children.

This initiative comes after President Bola Tinubu suspended the programme in January due to alleged irregularities within the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

The suspension also affected other social investment initiatives such as N-Power and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), following concerns over financial misconduct within the agency.

Despite the suspension, there has been mounting pressure from the House of Representatives to resume these suspended programmes.

The Green Chamber argued that a complete cancellation could have detrimental effects, particularly on the country's education sector.

Edun's announcement signals a renewed commitment from the federal government to strengthen educational infrastructure and ensure that future generations have improved access to learning opportunities.

"Feeding children at school would positively impact the national budget by providing sufficient resources to support and sustain educational programs," Edun added.