The Nigerian government is set to relaunch the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSFP) on May 29, despite past instances of corruption and mismanagement.
The programme aims to provide daily nutritious meals to 10 million public primary school pupils across Nigeria, using locally sourced ingredients to support both children’s health and rural economies.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, announced the relaunch during a meeting with development partners, NGOs, and government officials in Abuja. He appealed for broad-based support to drive the initiative, which aims to increase school enrollment by 20% and academic performance by 15% by 2025.
The programme has been restructured to include innovations such as QR-coded supply chains and real-time tracking to enhance transparency and quality control. Nutritionists, health professionals, and supervisors will monitor food quality and assess pupil health and programme outcomes.
However, the programme’s past is marred by corruption concerns, including:
- ₦2.67 billion meant for school feeding deposited into personal accounts during the COVID-19 lockdown
- 349 “ghost schools” listed as beneficiaries in Nasarawa State
- Food vendors disappearing after receiving payments without providing meals
- Poor quality and insufficient portions of meals provided to students
- Delays and inconsistencies in payments to food vendors
Despite these concerns, the government has pledged to ensure transparency, accountability, and collaboration in the relaunched programme. N100 billion has been earmarked in the 2025 budget to scale operations and deepen local impact.
