The Nigerian government has proposed to spend the sum of N141.9 billion of the 2021 budget on its school feeding programme.
This is a component of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) domiciled within the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
EduCeleb.com understands that the ministry directly handles what is officially tagged the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).
The ministry also provides what it calls meal subsidy for public schools across the country.
NHGSFP is proposed to cost the government N2.6 billion while the government budgeted N139.3 billion for the meal subsidy.
Governments’ records show that the school feeding programme is currently active in 33 states across the country and the FCT in varying degrees.
It targets providing daily nutritional meals to vulnerable young children in public primary schools within the focal states.
The humanitarian affairs ministry puts the number of beneficiaries of the programme at over 9.9 million children as at January 2020.
Controversy
While the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown led the closure of schools across the country in March, the ministry said it was still feeding children even as they stay at home.
This decision had been criticised by stakeholders who feel that the development had been riddled with corruption and unfairness.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq said food rations were distributed to various families through collaborations with state governments and school managers.
Farouq said over N523.3 million was spent on feeding programme during the lockdown.
When schools were open in the past years of its operations has been said to be active in 54,942 schools across the country and are served by 107,862 suppliers and cooks.
Its most recent controversy was a proposed probe by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of some N2.67 billion found in some private accounts. These funds were originally meant for those engaged in the programme.
Other education related spendings
The school feeding programme directly impacts the education sector even as it is not subsumed under the Federal Ministry of Education.
EduCeleb.com earlier reported that the education ministry intended spending N742.5 billion in 2021.
This report is one in our series focused on all governments’ budgetary allocation to the education sector in the 2021 fiscal year.
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