Education
NHGSFP to Overtake S/Africa as Largest School Feeding Scheme in Africa
By Dipo Olowookere
Nigeria’s National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSF) is set to overtake South Africa’s as the largest school feeding programme in Africa.
The scheme was launched in 2016 by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and it currently feeds a total of 8,596,340 pupils daily in 46,247 public primary schools in 24 states of the federation.
In South Africa, where a similar programme, National School Nutrition Programme, was launched 24 years ago (1994), it caters for an estimated 9.2 million learners, going by a 2017 report by the South Africa’s Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, explained that following NHGSF’s impressive adoption and growth in just two years of the launch of the initiative, it was evident that the social intervention programme will become the largest in Africa by the close of 2018.
She added that the benefits of the NHGSF initiative include increases in school enrolments and improvement in the health and nutrition of pupils in all the schools where the initiative is being implemented.
Mrs Uwais expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved by the programme and noted that its goals, which include ensuring increased enrolment, attendance and improvement in the health and nutrition of pupils in schools are being met.
She revealed further that through the NHGSFP initiative, total of 90,670 Nigerians have been engaged and empowered to be cooks, while over a hundred thousand farmers have also been linked to the school feeding programme to supply locally sourced farm produce to the cooks.
“In other words, we have created a value chain with significant economic benefits to the microeconomic development of the states. The value chain offers additional benefits of job creation and increased livelihood outcomes for both cooks and small holder farmers; hence improving livelihood and the local economies,” she said.
She also stated that the NHGSFP implementation is guided by the five global standards for school feeding programmes of this nature. These are: the establishment of a policy framework, programme design and implementation, institutional capacity and coordination, funding standards and community participation.
“NHGSFP leverages on the institutional structures within the States to implement the programme. Each participating state has signed Memorandum of Association with the federal government, which defines the roles and responsibilities for the key programme deliverables such as cook recruitment, operational activities, delivery of meals as well as basic monitoring and evaluation of the programme,” she added.
Speaking further, Mrs Uwais said that one of the critical success factors for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHSGP) is the strong political will of the Federal Government.
“The process of funds disbursement for the NHGSFP ensures transparency, accountability and trackability. The NHGSFP has not only improved the livelihood of farmers engaged but has also improved that of cooks; most of whom now have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs; such as financial literary, transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance. Financial inclusion is a key enabler to reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. We are proud to say, these are some of the key achievements of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme,” she added.
To ensure continuous improvement in programme delivery, Mrs Uwais said the programme has put together a system of regular Peer Review with the States to share key learnings and problem-solving mechanisms.
The NSIO also ensures strict compliance with set standards by the Federal Government by suspending the programme in any state where the prescribed standard is reported to have fallen below expectations, until a redesign and re-alignment is achieved.
NHGSF is one of the four Social Investment Programmes of the President Buhari administration which seeks to provide one nutritious meal a day to pupils in primary 1-3 in public primary schools in all States in Nigeria.
Today, the school programme is currently being implemented in 24 States in Nigeria. The 24 States include Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo in South-East; Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta in the South-South; Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ogun in the South-West; Benue, Niger and Plateau in the North-Central; Kaduna, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina and Zamfara in the North-West as well as Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and Jigawa in the North-East. Sokoto and Adamawa States are expected to join the programme soon.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Online learning platforms, Coursera and Udemy, have reached an agreement to merge in an all-stock transaction, with the combined company’s implied equity value estimated at approximately $2.5 billion.
The agreement, unanimously approved by both companies’ boards of directors, stipulates that Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy share held.
Upon completion of the merger, Coursera shareholders are expected to own about 59 per cent and Udemy shareholders approximately 41 per cent of the new entity on a fully diluted basis.
The combined company will continue under the Coursera name, and maintain its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Coursera, founded in 2012 by Mr Andrew Ng and Ms Daphne Koller, is an online learning platform with 191 million registered users as of September 30, 2025. It collaborates with over 375 universities and industry partners to offer courses, specialisations, professional certificates, and degrees.
The platform includes features such as generative AI (gen AI) tools (Coach, Role Play, Course Builder) and role-based solutions (Skills Tracks) to support scalable and personalised learning. Coursera is used by institutions for workforce development in fields such as gen AI, data science, technology, and business.
Udemy is a platform that provides on-demand, multi-language courses to help companies and individuals develop technical, business, and soft skills. It uses AI to offer personalised learning experiences and supports workforce development in a changing workplace.
Mr Greg Hart, currently CEO of Coursera, is set to lead the enlarged organisation as CEO after the merger.
The board will consist of nine members. Six from Coursera’s board, including chairman Mr Ng and CEO Mr Hart, and three from Udemy’s board.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in which AI is rapidly redefining the skills required for every job across every industry.
“Organisations and individuals around the world need a platform that is as agile as the new and emerging skills learners must master,” Mr Hart said.
The combination is said to create a complete ecosystem of top instructors supported by AI tools, data-driven insights, and broader distribution, enabling more engaging, personalised, and dynamic learning at scale.
Projected operational efficiencies include anticipated annual run-rate cost synergies of $115m within two years after closing.
Udemy CEO, Mr Hugo Sarrazin said: “For more than 15 years, Udemy has helped millions of people master in-demand skills at the speed of innovation.
“Through this combination with Coursera, we will create meaningful benefits for our learners, enterprise customers, and instructors, while delivering significant value to our shareholders, who will participate in the substantial upside potential of the combined company.”
The merger is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory clearances, approval by both companies’ shareholders, and other customary closing conditions.
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