No fewer than 30,000 pupils in Lagos public primary schools will benefit from a new nutrition programme launched by the state government with the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
Tagged “Adopt A School for Snacks for Thought – PBAT FEEDS!”, the initiative was unveiled in Alausa, Ikeja, alongside a digital dashboard to boost transparency and accountability.
The pilot phase, scheduled to run from June 30 to July 2, will provide nutritious snacks and beverages to 30,000 pupils daily as part of efforts to tackle classroom hunger and improve learning outcomes.
Speaking at the unveiling in Alausa, Ikeja, the National Programme Manager of the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said the initiative was conceived to address the growing challenge of hunger among schoolchildren, noting that poor nutrition negatively affects concentration, memory, attendance and academic performance.
She described the programme as an investment in human capital development that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Nigeria’s broader education and development objectives.
Adebowale explained that the initiative adopts a school sponsorship model, allowing individuals, corporate organisations, philanthropists, development partners, alumni associations, faith-based organisations and community groups to support the nutritional needs of pupils by adopting classrooms, schools, local government areas or entire states.
She said the newly launched digital dashboard would enable sponsors to identify schools, complete sponsorship commitments online and monitor implementation in real time through attendance tracking, distribution verification, geospatial mapping and impact assessment.
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, urged stakeholders to support local farmers who will supply food items for the programme, saying the initiative would also strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Tolani Ali-Balogun, described the programme as a strategic intervention to reduce learning poverty and improve pupils’ academic performance, while Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said it would boost school attendance and help reduce the number of out-of-school children.
The organisers called on the private sector, development partners and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative to ensure its sustainability and expand its impact across the country.
