General
FG Lists Achievements of School Feeding Program
By Dipo Olowookere
The National Social Investments Office (NSIO) has highlighted the achievements and critical areas of the economy the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) has positively impacted on, since its launch in 2016.
The NSIO explained that the school feeding initiative has been driving financial inclusion and reducing poverty while boosting the prosperity of the cooks by providing them access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs.
Special Adviser on Social Investments to the President, Mrs Maryam Uwais has said that in addition to the over nine million pupils in classes 1 to 3 currently benefitting from the programme in 26 States, almost 97,000 community women have been engaged and trained to prepare locally grown food and serve local delicacies to primary beneficiaries of the programme in almost 50,000 public primary schools nationwide.
In a document entitled ‘Progress on the NGHSFP’, released by the NSIO, the Federal Government highlighted the achievements and critical areas of the economy the National Home- Grown School Feeding Programme has positively touched.
It explained that it has been driving financial inclusion and reducing poverty while boosting the prosperity of the cooks by providing them access “to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs”.
It added that “more than 100,000 smallholder farmers and youth are engaged in the overall value chain of National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme; from production to processing, aggregation, packaging to distribution across different States in Nigeria.”
The document also noted that apart from increasing school enrolment and creating jobs, the feeding programme has helped to improve fish farming and poultry business further, in addition to making a significant investment in the beef industry.
It disclosed that the FG has invested over N253million to provide the fish consumed weekly in all the 26 States in collaboration with fish farmers cooperatives, as well as the Association of Aquaculture Farmers and Agro Processors of Nigeria.
“This helps to improve the livelihood of 2,716 fish out-growers for mass fish production in these States. Each week, these fish out growers produce approximately 83 metric tons (over N92million) of fish for the programme. In tandem w ith this, 1164 factory workers are involved in the fish processing. In the first year, the Agro Processors generated a profit of N2.5 million.
The document also highlighted its effect on the poultry and livestock sectors, explaining that 138,000 birds and 6,800,000 eggs worth N201 million and N204million respectively are purchased weekly from members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria in the various States.
It added that, “the Meat Sellers/Butchers Association in Nigeria supply an estimated 594 cattle from various local abattoirs across the country to support the programme. This is valued at over N570million per annum, thereby enhancing their production scale and profitability.”
Highlighting the programme’s impact on youth empowerment and food production, the document disclosed that, “over 500,000 young adults are engaged on the programme to support (through teaching assistant jobs in schools) directly, extension officers in agriculture, as well as health services within the community, having each received training and technology-enhanced devices (loaded with relevant modules) worth N100, 000 from the N-Power programme. Most of these youth serve as intermediaries between the small farmers and cooks, including teachers in the public primary schools where feeding is taking place.”
“The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Buhari-led Administration has made available N82billion in funding to 350,000 farmers of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, cassava, poultry, soybeans and groundnut; who have cultivated about 400,000 hectares of land. Over 350,000 farmers in orange-fleshed sweet potato, poultry, rice, groundnut and soybean have been supported with funding for planting material and fertilizer to increase production.”
Contrary to what some might believe, the FG affirmed that its investment into the school feeding programme is proving to be cost-effective, sustainable and an example to be emulated by other countries.
“Not only does it produce mutually reinforcing outcomes, it also serves as a strong, sustainable economic model. Farmers are able to increase their production capacity and income through a structured and predictable market. Additionally, women and youth are economically empowered through their participation in the food supply chain.
The evidence for the positive impact of school feeding programmes on the education, health and the economy of the beneficiary communities is clear. The example of Nigeria’s school Feeding Programme provides an inspiration to other countries looking to develop their own sustainable school feeding programmes.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to provide funding and support for the next generation of Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.
The announcement coincides with International Youth Day 2026, whose global theme this year — Different Contexts, Common Aspirations — calls on institutions to close the gap between young people’s circumstances and their opportunities. The pilot is an early step toward NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years.
The NiYA and Cascador Founders Programme will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders, including entrepreneurs without formal business registration or established financial records.
Over four weeks, participants will undergo intensive training focused on business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to N5 million each from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.
The funding and support will be presented at a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Minister for Youth Development, Mr s Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would enable NiYA to move beyond training by helping young people transform ideas into investable businesses and achieve sustainable economic participation through business preparation and access to capital.
“The pilot is deliberately designed to test a model that can go beyond one cohort. If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks. That is the larger objective: to build a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in which readiness, ideas and execution can increasingly determine who gets the opportunity to grow.”
The pilot will run in-person in Abuja with virtual touchpoints and 1:1 mentorship. All 20 graduates retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities.
NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions. What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness. When a Ministry so dedicated to its young people asked Cascador to help build that bridge, it was an easy decision,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
Ms Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, highlighted the partnership’s impact, saying, “This is what innovative capital deployment looks like: a government building real investment readiness at scale, and a partner meeting that foundational work with non-dilutive funding at exactly the moment it’s needed. Partnerships like this open doors that neither of us could open alone.”
