Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has commenced school feeding initiative programme aimed at curbing the alarming rise in the number of out-of-school children across the state.
Backed by development partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the programme was launched at Dan-Turai Primary School in Gusau on Thursday to increase primary school enrolment and retention by tackling two of the most significant barriers to education in the region—hunger and malnutrition.
The initiative comes as Nigeria grapples with one of the highest rates of out-of-school children globally.
According to recent data, millions of school-age children remain outside the formal education system, with insecurity, poverty, and poor infrastructure cited as major contributing factors—challenges particularly acute in Zamfara.
According to a statement by Sulaiman Bala Idris, the Governor’s spokesperson, the initiative has reiterated Governor Lawal’s resolve to reverse the trend of low school attendance and address what he described as a deep-rooted educational crisis in Zamfara.
“This pilot feeding programme represents more than just an intervention,” Lawal said during the launch. “It is a clear demonstration of our resolve to make access to quality education not just a right, but a lived reality for every child in Zamfara.”
Governor Lawal also highlighted ongoing collaborations with agencies such as UNICEF and the World Bank through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, aimed at improving access to education through targeted investments and community-based interventions.
He noted that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had recently partnered with UNICEF to establish a technical committee comprising agency heads and stakeholders.
As part of the pilot phase, the FINPACT Development Foundation will fund meals for 1,000 pupils in the local government areas of Gusau, Maru, Anka, and Talata Mafara, while the International Centre for Economic Development will sponsor feeding for 3,300 pupils across Gusau, Shinkafi, and Talata Mafara.
“These partnerships underscore our inclusive approach,” Lawal said. “Our goal is not only to feed pupils but to keep them in school long enough to benefit from sustained, quality learning.”
He called on donor agencies and education stakeholders to scale up support and develop more programmes that enhance access to learning, particularly in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Governor Lawal expressed hope that the school feeding programme would serve as both a model and a motivation for further reforms in education delivery across the state.
