Remi Tinubu Reveals FG’s Plan for Sustainable School Feeding Programme

(Oluremi Tinubu And President Bola Tinubu. Photo by Nation News)

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has said President Bola Tinubu is passionate about establishing a sustainable school feeding programme, expressing confidence that it would be firmly in place before the end of the administration.

She stated this on Tuesday while receiving a five-member delegation from the World Bank, led by its Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Matthew Verghis, at the State House, Abuja.

According to a statement released by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration on Early Childhood Development programmes in Nigeria.

Speaking during the engagement, the First Lady stressed the importance of investing in children from an early age to improve their growth and future prospects, noting that such investment is critical not only for improving growth opportunities but also for shaping children's focus.

She said the Federal Government remained committed to initiatives that would improve the lives of Nigerians, describing the country's population size as an advantage given its status as a great nation.

Senator Tinubu said the administration had adopted a multi-sectoral approach to development, citing interventions in health, education, environmental sanitation and nutrition.

She noted that the President had assembled a capable team, pointing to sensitisation and campaign efforts around tuberculosis as an example, and stressed the importance of prioritising children as the joy of the nation.

The First Lady also pledged to continue working with the wives of state governors to implement programmes aimed at improving children's welfare across the country, expressing optimism about the school feeding initiative and assuring that it would be properly established before the end of the administration's tenure, noting that the President has long been passionate about the programme, dating back to his time as Governor of Lagos State.

Earlier, Verghis called for stronger collaboration with Nigerian leaders to advance Early Childhood Development, describing it as one of the country's most important long-term investments.

He explained that the World Bank periodically reframes its programmes in Nigeria, noting that the country remains one of the institution's largest partners globally, with investing in people forming a central focus of its work, including partnerships in education, nutrition and skills development.

He said investments in children from pregnancy to age five improve cognitive development, reduce healthcare costs and help break cycles of poverty, and urged the First Lady to use her platform to promote a multi-sectoral approach to Early Childhood Development programmes.

He added that Nigeria's success was crucial to the World Bank achieving its broader targets in areas such as healthcare delivery, broadband access and energy access, stressing that the institution's overall success depends significantly on Nigeria's progress.

The World Bank delegation said its five-year country partnership framework would focus on implementing programmes that improve nutrition, education, sanitation and other key areas affecting child development, adding that the First Lady's leadership would be critical to the initiative's success.