Governor Malam Umar Namadi has pledged the full support of Jigawa State as the Federal Government prepares to relaunch the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
He made the commitment when he received the Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, and officials of the Abdullahi Mahmood Foundation during a courtesy call at Government House, Dutse.
Describing the initiative as critical to the Renewed Hope Agenda, Governor Namadi noted that the programme carries benefits beyond the classroom. According to him, “Not only does it help reduce the number of out-of-school children, but it also improves their nutrition. Beyond that, it has a strong economic impact wherever it is implemented—vendors benefit, farmers benefit, cooks benefit, and local communities are uplifted. It is truly an all-encompassing program.”
The governor explained that Jigawa State has always gone beyond the national benchmark in supporting school feeding. “While the federal programme covered primary 1 to 3, Jigawa State extended it to primary 4 to 6. We have already included school feeding in our 2025 budget, and we will continue to make provision for it in the 2026 budget. I want to assure the Senior Special Assistant that Jigawa is ready to work closely with the federal government to revive this important programme,” he said.
Namadi further stressed the state’s commitment to sustaining the scheme. “We are proud of this contribution, and we will continue to support and encourage such efforts. This initiative requires a lot of sensitization, and I believe more philanthropists will join once they see the impact,” he added.
Earlier, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji commended the governor’s passion for education and expressed confidence that Jigawa would be among the first states to benefit once the programme restarts. “I assure you, Mr. Governor, that once the program begins, Jigawa will be one of the first states to benefit because of the passion and investment you have put into education,” she stated.
She also revealed new plans to reach vulnerable children in IDP camps, poor households, and Almajiri schools through partnerships with private organizations.
The Abdullahi Mahmood Foundation, represented during the visit, announced that it would flag off its 2025/2026 school feeding and uniform distribution programme in Malam Madori and Kaugama Local Government Areas. The initiative, carried out in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President, is expected to reach about 200 schools and cover at least 30% of enrolled pupils in the first phase.