More than 200,000 pupils and local businesspeople are benefitting from the Osun State school feeding programme, O’Meals—an initiative aimed at combating hunger, boosting school enrollment, and economically empowering local women.
According to the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the state government spends over ₦32 million daily to sustain the programme. The initiative provides daily meals to students in public primary schools and engages more than 3,000 local vendors—many of whom are women—to prepare and distribute food within their communities.
Speaking in Osogbo on Thursday, Alimi emphasised that the programme has become a vital intervention in addressing child malnutrition and reducing absenteeism, as many children now look forward to attending school knowing they will receive a meal.
He added that the government is seeking partnerships with development agencies such as UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to expand and enhance the initiative without compromising quality amid rising food costs.
The Osun initiative is part of a broader national effort to reduce hunger and improve educational outcomes through structured, locally sourced school feeding programmes. At the federal level, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) targets over 10 million children in public primary schools across Nigeria. The programme is designed to promote nutrition, stimulate local agriculture, and empower women through employment in food preparation and distribution.
By sourcing food from small-scale farmers and engaging women as cooks, the NHGSFP aims to improve children’s cognitive and physical development, increase school enrollment, reduce dropout rates, and generate income for rural households. This integrated approach enhances food security, minimises post-harvest losses, and strengthens local economies.
States such as Kaduna and Abia have adopted similar models with notable success.
In Kaduna State, the government has implemented a robust school-feeding programme that emphasizes food hygiene and local sourcing. Vendors are provided with plates and utensils, and regular health inspections are conducted to ensure meals are prepared under sanitary conditions.
The initiative, which sources food from local farmers, has significantly improved school attendance and student focus and reduced the financial burden on parents, especially those affected by economic instability. By aligning school feeding with agricultural development, Kaduna demonstrates that the initiative can simultaneously drive educational progress and food security.
Similarly, Abia State has expanded its school-feeding initiative to include all primary school classes—not just lower levels—promoting fairness and encouraging full enrollment. This inclusive approach has led to increased attendance and improved learning outcomes.
Food is purchased from local women and farmer cooperatives, boosting community businesses and improving food quality and safety. The state also conducts regular health checks and food safety training for vendors, thereby raising food standards and economically empowering women to support their households and communities.
These state-level efforts complement the federal government’s broader push to improve the education and nutritional status of Nigerian children.
By integrating school feeding with local food systems, empowering women, and encouraging community participation, interventions in Osun, Kaduna, Abia, and under the NHGSFP are tackling the root causes of child hunger, malnutrition, and low school participation—while driving local economic growth.
Sustaining and expanding these programmes will require continued investment, monitoring, and collaboration among governments, communities, and development partners.
As these initiatives grow, they reinforce the idea that school feeding is not merely a social welfare intervention but a powerful development strategy capable of transforming education, public health, and rural economies across Nigeria.
The Osun State school feeding program, O’Meals, supports over 200,000 pupils and local business vendors by delivering daily meals to students in public primary schools. This initiative, which costs the government over ₦32 million daily, aims to combat hunger, improve school enrollment, and empower local women economically. More than 3,000 local vendors, many of whom are women, are involved in preparing and distributing food, which helps to address child malnutrition and reduce absenteeism among pupils.
The program's expansion aims for partnerships with development agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme to maintain quality despite rising food costs. This initiative is part of the larger National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), which targets over 10 million children across Nigeria. By engaging women and sourcing food from local farmers, NHGSFP seeks to bolster children's nutrition, increase school attendance, and stimulate local agriculture.
Similar successful models have been adopted by Kaduna and Abia states. Kaduna has implemented a hygiene-focused program, significantly enhancing school attendance and reducing financial burdens on parents, while Abia has expanded its school feeding efforts to all primary school levels, improving attendance and learning outcomes. Food safety and economic empowerment are core to these initiatives, as they bolster community businesses and support women's economic roles.
Overall, these efforts at state and federal levels aim to address child hunger, improve educational participation, and stimulate local economies. Continuous investment, monitoring, and collaboration among various stakeholders are necessary to sustain and extend these impactful programs, positioning school feeding as a transformative development strategy rather than just a welfare measure.
