NIMC partners RH-NHGSF to enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s school feeding programme 

This is contained in a statement signed by Kayode Adegoke, PhD, the NIMC’s Head of Communications Unit on Friday.

The statement read, in part, “In alignment with the Renewed Hope Mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR the National Identity Management Commission is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSF).” 

The RH-NHGSFP is a federal government initiative established in 2005 with the aim of improving the health and educational outcomes of public primary school pupils. It also focuses on local farmers’ produce to provide children with nutritious mid-day meals on every school day, beginning with 12 states selected from the six geopolitical zones.

By improving school attendance, boosting child nutrition, and supporting local agriculture, analysts say the program has emerged as a vital tool in addressing poverty and malnutrition in Nigeria.

However, challenges such as leakages, inefficiencies in meal delivery, and the need for a robust database to track beneficiaries have persisted.

NIMC’s involvement introduces a data-driven approach to overcome these hurdles. Leveraging the National Identification Number (NIN) system, the partnership seeks to create an accurate and comprehensive database of schoolchildren eligible for the program.

The partnership is expected to directly benefit over 9 million pupils currently enrolled in the program, while also providing indirect benefits to local farmers and food vendors who supply the meals.