Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has assured the World Bank that a structured national school feeding programme will be fully established before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu completes his tenure. The pledge comes amid growing concerns over food inflation, child malnutrition, and the rising number of out-of-school children across the country. While government officials insist the plan is well underway, many Nigerians have jokingly asked whether the menu will arrive before the graduation ceremony.
A Recipe for Hope or Another Promise on the Menu?
According to the First Lady, the administration is determined to ensure that school feeding becomes more organized, transparent, and sustainable rather than remaining a programme that appears only during speeches and disappears before lunchtime. The assurance was reportedly made during discussions with the World Bank, which has supported education and nutrition initiatives in several developing countries. The commitment signals an attempt to strengthen collaboration with international development partners while improving children’s access to nutritious meals.
Across Nigeria, however, the announcement has triggered a familiar mix of optimism and humour. Parents say they would gladly applaud the programme once children begin returning home with full stomachs instead of stories about what they might receive next term. Social media comedians have already suggested that Nigerian pupils should keep both their school bags and takeaway containers ready—just in case promises finally become packed for lunches.
The School Feeding Programme Test Nigeria Cannot Afford to Fail
The school feeding programme has remained a major policy discussion for years because experts consistently link regular school meals to improved attendance, better concentration, and reduced dropout rates. Development agencies have also argued that properly managed feeding programmes stimulate local agriculture by creating demand for farmers while improving children’s nutrition.
For many Nigerians, though, confidence will depend less on official announcements and more on visible implementation. Citizens say they have heard enough groundbreaking declarations to fill several classrooms but are now waiting for equally groundbreaking results. Until steaming plates begin replacing steaming speeches, sceptics insist that the real examination is not taking place inside school halls—but inside government offices responsible for delivering the meals.
Whether this ambitious school feeding programme becomes one of the Tinubu administration’s lasting achievements or simply another promise waiting for its report card remains to be seen. The assurance to the World Bank has certainly raised expectations, but Nigerians will ultimately judge success by what reaches children’s plates rather than conference tables. OGM News NG will continue monitoring developments as the programme progresses and brings readers further updates as the story unfolds.
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