Jigawa Governor Namadi pledges more support, as Federal Government moves to revive school feeding initiatives

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By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse

Governor 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 gave the assurance when he received the Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, and officials of the Abdullahi Mahmood Foundation (AMF) during a courtesy call at Government House, Dutse.

Describing the initiative as critical to the Renewed Hope Agenda, Governor Namadi said the programme has far-reaching benefits beyond the classroom.

“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 said.

He explained that Jigawa 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.”

“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.”

Earlier in her remarks, Dr. Adeniji commended the governor’s passion for education and expressed confidence that Jigawa will 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 said.

She also highlighted new measures 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 plans to flag off its 2025/2026 school feeding and uniform distribution programme in Malam Madori and Kaugama Local Government Areas.

The initiative, undertaken in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President, aims to reach about 200 schools and cover at least 30% of enrolled pupils in the first phase.