BARELY a week after a News Point Nigeria‘s exclusive report spotlighted the prolonged suspension of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the Federal Government has resumed its social welfare interventions, with the school feeding scheme set for resumption and a disbursement of ₦493 billion to over five million households.
News Point Nigeria gathered that this progress follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive lifting the freeze on accounts belonging to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), which had been under suspension since January 2024 over an alleged corruption probe.
This development was further confirmed on Thursday by the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, during a press briefing in Abuja on the impact of foreign aid cuts on Nigeria’s humanitarian efforts.
Recall News Point Nigeria had on July 31 published an exclusive report revealing how more than nine million schoolchildren were going without meals due to the NHGSFP’s suspension, adversely affecting attendance rates particularly in northern states.
And despite a ₦160 billion allocation in the 2025 budget, the programme remained dormant, casting doubt over the government’s commitment.
The school feeding programme, once a flagship social intervention under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was paused after NSIPA’s CEO, Halima Shehu, and former Minister Dr. Betta Edu were embroiled in a financial misappropriation allegation.
In response, President Tinubu ordered a comprehensive investigation led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and tasked a reform panel chaired by Finance Minister Wale Edun with overhauling the system to ensure transparency and restore public confidence.
However, speaking to journalists on Thursday, Dr. Sununu stated that the NSIPA’s previously suspended accounts have now been reactivated and funds returned, enabling the resumption of critical programmes such as: National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfers, N-Power training scheme, FarmerMoni, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and Grant for Vulnerable Groups (GVG) (to be launched soon).
“When we came in, the Agency’s accounts were frozen. But I’m glad to inform Nigerians that Mr. President has directed that the accounts be reopened, and we’ve resumed operations,” Sununu said.
He disclosed that over ₦500 billion had been appropriated under the Service Wide Vote for these initiatives, confirming that part of the recovered funds would go into restarting schoool feeding, GEEP and other empowerment schemes.
Despite mounting global donor fatigue and shrinking foreign support, Sununu announced a timely donation of €1.5 million from the European Union (EU) to support displaced persons in Benue State and malnourished children under emergency medical care.
“This is a welcome relief as we continue to grapple with economic pressures and humanitarian emergencies,” he said.
To prevent future abuses and ensure transparency, the government has engaged 53 firms to update beneficiaries’ biometric data, including National Identification Numbers (NINs), Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and valid account details.
“We’re ensuring that every person in the National Social Register is fully verified. No one without NIN, BVN, or bank account will be left unaccounted for,” Sununu added.
The reopening of NSIPA’s accounts signals a broader attempt by the Tinubu administration to reboot its social investment strategy after the credibility crisis caused by previous mismanagement.
With school feeding back and disbursements now underway, the government hopes to restore trust and deliver on its promises to Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations, children, the poor, and internally displaced persons.
See below link of earlier story on School Feeding by News Point Nigeria:
N160bn Budgeted, Yet No Meals: Suspended School Feeding Scheme Strands 9 Million Pupils, 250,000 Jobs