Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has officially launched the state’s Homegrown School Feeding Programme, a strategic initiative aimed at improving school enrollment, retention, and completion rates.
The launch ceremony was held at Dan-Turai Primary School in Gusau, the state capital, where Governor Lawal symbolically shared a meal with pupils, highlighting his administration’s commitment to improving child nutrition and education.
In his address, Governor Lawal emphasized that the programme represents a key step in his administration’s broader education reform agenda. He noted the state’s efforts to partner with stakeholders such as the World Bank through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
“The school feeding initiative is part of our emergency response to encourage enrollment and keep children in school, while simultaneously addressing hunger and malnutrition,” he said. “We’ve also engaged with NGOs like the International Center for Economic Development and FINPACT Development Foundation, who are supporting a pilot phase that will guide future program implementation.”
According to the governor, FINPACT will sponsor meals for 1,000 pupils in Gusau, Maru, Anka, and Talata Mafara, while the International Center for Economic Development will provide feeding for 3,300 pupils across Gusau, Talata Mafara, and Shinkafi.
Governor Lawal called on stakeholders and donor agencies to deepen their involvement in educational initiatives. “Collaborative efforts like these will not only improve access to quality and inclusive education but also drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children in our state,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioners for Education and Humanitarian Affairs, Wadatau Madawaki and Salisu Musa, hailed the programme as a transformative effort in tackling child hunger, illiteracy, and early school dropout. They expressed gratitude to the implementing partners, particularly ICED and FINDEF, for supporting the pilot phase in selected schools.
Zamfara currently ranks among the states with the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. Factors such as poverty, insecurity, and inadequate educational infrastructure have long hindered access to basic education, especially in rural communities.
The pilot phase of the school feeding programme targets more than 4,000 pupils across five local government areas: Gusau, Talata Mafara, Anka, Maru, and Shinkafi — representing a significant step towards reversing the state’s educational challenges.
