Torchlight

One Square Meal a Day – Home-Grown Feeding Programme Keeping Niger State Children in School

4 Mins read

By Kenneth Ibe and Ikemefuna Igwe (Lead Writers)

In 2017, the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced the home-grown school feeding programme (HGSFP) in primary schools across the country. The programme provides one square meal every day to pupils in public primary schools, with the aim of encouraging school attendance, combating malnutrition and promoting local economic growth. It can be said that the programme is achieving its objectives in Niger State where thousands of pupils are fed every day, economic conditions of farmers and food vendors improved, and school attendance is increasing. Nigeria Health Watch visited Umaru Audi Memorial Primary School, Minna and Kuyanbana Primary School, Bosso Local Government Area, Niger State to capture the process.

In Niger State, as in other states where the programme is ongoing, the government’s aim was to increase school enrolment, attendance, and performance; improve nutrition among children of school age and boost the local economy. Nigeria Health Watch

The programme started in Niger State in 2017 and according to Barrister Amina Gu’ar, State Coordinator/Focal Person of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in the state, it became essential because classes were empty as children were not going to school. Parents who could not afford to feed their children were withdrawing them from school to work in their farms, shops, etc.

The federal government funds the HGSFP for pupils in primary 1–3, “the state government augments the funds received and feeds students in primary grades 4–6,” said Mr Umar Ndashacba, HGSFP Propramme Officer, Niger State.

The 1,728 pupils in Umaru Audi Memorial Primary School, Minna are among the 559,903 pupils currently being fed under the programme in 2,663 schools out of the 3,038 schools across Niger State. Nigeria Health Watch
Pupils of Kuyanbana Primary School in Bosso Local Government Area in Niger State are also part of the Home-Grown School Feeding Program. Nigeria Health Watch
The Home-Grown School Feeding Programme has also catalysed increased school enrolment. Nigeria Health Watch

According to Agela Wada, Head Teacher, Umaru Audi Memorial Primary School, Minna, in addition to improving nutrition, the programme has also catalysed increased school enrolment. Barrister Gu’ar revealed that there has been a 35.6% increase in school enrolment since the beginning of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in the state.

The pupils receive one simple, cost effective, nutritious meal a day, from Monday to Friday. Nigeria Health Watch

For some children the daily meal they receive is often their only regular and nutritious meal. The meals include: rice, beef, yam, egg, soya bean cheese, bread and beans. The cost of a meal for each child is 70 naira but Ndashacba said they received recent approval to increase it to 100 naira per child. This will be implemented soon, he added.

Barrister Amina Gu’ar, State Coordinator/Focal Person of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) in Niger State. Nigeria Health Watch
National Home Grown School Feeding Programme: The Niger State Experience.
The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme: Niger State Experience

According to Barrister Gu’ar, at the beginning of the programme, the management in the state collaborated with nutritionists to formulate menus to be prepared by the vendors to serve the children on a daily basis. This is to ensure that the children’s daily food contains the balanced diet needed for their growth and development.

A cross section of food vendors at Umaru Audi Memorial Primary School. Nigeria Health Watch
Feeding the future – The Nigerian School Feeding Story
The coordinator of the NHGSFP vendors at Umaru Audi Memorial Primary School, Minna, Madam Talahtu.

The Home-Grown School Feeding Program in Niger State has enabled economic growth in the state by creating over 9500 jobs in the state. The program has 5971 cooks, 2,368 cheese makers, 846 aggregators and 1,146 local suppliers.

Butchers preparing beef to be used by the vendors to cook the children’s meals. Photo credit: Mr Umar Ndachachba
According to Ndashaba, a recent assessment of the nutritional status of school children in the state shows the programme is achieving one of its aims of combating malnutrition among school age children in the state. Nigeria Health Watch
There has been a 35.6% increase in school enrolment since the beginning of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in the state. Nigeria Health Watch

Despite the programme’s success, some constraints limit its smooth execution. According to Barrister Amina Gu’ar, late payment from the government is a major challenge that threatens the programme’s implementation.

Furthermore, it was reported that some cooks hoarded some of the foodstuff allotted to them. To address this, Barrister Gu’ar said that they are collaborating with the Department of State Services to resolve this concern by reporting any cook who is accused of this behaviour to the security agency for prosecution.

Although the pupils are served with a balanced diet, they are not served water with their meal. While water has no nutrients, it is essential to a child’s health. It makes up more than half of a child’s body weight and is needed to keep all parts of the body functioning properly. Nigeria Health Watch
It is unsafe to feed children meals without water, particularly when they are eating meals like bread and beans. Providing access to clean drinking water helps children increase their water intake and maintain hydration. Nigeria Health Watch
In addition, pupils were not encouraged to wash their hands with soap and running water before eating. Maintaining good hand hygiene, particularly among children plays a critical role in preventing infectious disease outbreaks. Nigeria Health Watch
Teachers should teach the pupils proper hand hygiene by encouraging them to wash their hands before every meal. Nigeria Health Watch
Effective nutrition contributes to the proper development of children, who then become adults that will impact the nation’s development. Nigeria Health Watch

Educational and nutritional experts agree with the assertion that nutritional and health status are powerful influences on children’s learning abilities, and on how well they perform in school. Therefore, while we commend the positive impact of the Niger State Home-Grown School Feeding Programme on school enrolment, malnutrition and possibly economic development, we look forward to seeing the programme scaled up to the remaining 375 schools not on the programme.

Government should continue reviewing the cost of a meal per child. While the focus is on ‘making cost effective’ meals, the nutritional status of such meals might be compromised if the cost is not reviewed in line with Nigeria’s current economic reality.

Poor nutrition in children is a global problem and a pressing issue in Nigeria. Additionally, Nigeria struggles with poor school attendance, with an estimated 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5–14 years out-of-school. Sustaining the national home-grown school feeding programme is critical as it could be a solution to nutrition-related health problems among school children in Nigeria.

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