ActionAid Nigeria has called for the urgent institutionalisation of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, describing it as a proven strategy to address Nigeria’s deepening education crisis, reduce hunger, and strengthen national development.

Speaking at the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of Home-Grown School Feeding for Sustainable Economic Growth and Financial Inclusion, held on Friday at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, ActionAid Nigeria Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said too many children are still being denied basic education.

He revealed that at least 15 million children remain out of school in Nigeria, while millions more who are enrolled struggle to learn due to hunger and poor infrastructure.

“According to the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, Nigeria scores just 0.36—meaning a child born here today will achieve only 36% of their productive potential if nothing changes,” Mamedu said.

He noted that despite an increase in enrolment between 2018 and 2022, the number of out-of-school children has continued to rise, underscoring what he described as “weak governance, underfunding, and systemic gaps” in the education sector.

Mamedu stressed that school feeding is not merely a welfare intervention but a strategic investment in education and human capital.

“It is an education strategy that keeps children in school and helps them learn better. An economic strategy that stimulates local farming and food markets. A social protection strategy that reduces hunger and inequality. A human capital development strategy with guaranteed returns on investment. And ultimately, a nation-building strategy for inclusion, stability, and sustainable development,” he said.

He explained that ActionAid, through partnerships with federal and state governments, had demonstrated the impact of school feeding, citing a MacArthur Foundation–funded project in Kaduna State.

“We worked with partners to strengthen accountability and transparency in 400 schools. We empowered communities to monitor school feeding, built the capacity of stakeholders at state and local levels, and supported advocacy that led to major reforms,” Mamedu said.

The Country Director said the forum marked a defining moment in Nigeria’s quest to secure the future of millions of children, aligning with ActionAid’s 10-year Country Strategy Paper which commits to lifting at least five million people out of poverty by 2034.

He urged stakeholders to scale up the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme nationwide, warning that without decisive reforms, Nigeria risks losing another generation of children to poverty and illiteracy.