The Federal Government says it plans to feed at least 20 million children through the Homegrown School Feeding Programme by 2026, framing the initiative as both an educational investment and a national security strategy.

Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the target 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 development partners.

Shettima, represented by Dr. Kolade Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, described the expansion under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as “the boldest yet” in the history of the programme.

He explained that the initiative, relaunched earlier this year, aims to improve school enrollment and learning outcomes while boosting rural economies by creating steady demand for smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local food processors.

“This year, the federal government relaunched the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, signalling a decisive return to scale and systemisation,” Shettima said. “The programme is designed to boost enrollment and attendance, improve academic performance, and raise smallholder incomes through stable local procurement.”

He added that a complementary initiative—the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope School Feeding Project—is designed to reach out-of-school and highly vulnerable children, with an ambition of scaling up to 20 million beneficiaries by 2026.

Technology for Transparency

According to Shettima, the integration of the National Identity Management Commission database into the programme will ensure transparency, guaranteeing 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 nationwide coverage could cost as much as ₦1 trillion, he argued that the scheme should not be viewed as a financial burden but rather as a nation-building investment.

“Ambition requires investment, and the federal government has acknowledged that sustaining national coverage may require around one trillion naira. But this is not a cost. It is a nation-building investment with high social, economic, and security return,” he said.

Security and Community Impact

Shettima stressed that the programme goes beyond food and education, framing it as part of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency and social stability strategy.

“Every hot meal served in a classroom also 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.

He urged state governments, private investors, and international partners to align with the federal vision, noting that success would be measured not just in hunger-free classrooms but also in “safer, more resilient communities.”

Calls for Legal Backing

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

“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.

He also urged the development of a National Nutrition Guideline for school meals, aligned with international standards, to ensure safe, balanced, and quality nutrition for pupils.

A Pillar of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

Analysts note that the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, relaunched under President Bola Tinubu, sits at the intersection of child welfare, education reform, and rural economic development. By simultaneously addressing food security, education gaps, and poverty reduction, the initiative is being positioned as one of the administration’s flagship interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda.