₦30 Billion for School Feeding: Is Enugu Ready to Manage Trust at This Scale?
By Jerry Adesewo
Enugu State’s proposal to commit ₦30 billion to a school feeding initiative in 2026 has understandably generated both applause and anxiety. On paper, it is a bold, socially responsive intervention—one that recognises nutrition as a foundation for learning, school attendance, and human development. The issue, however, is not whether Enugu State can afford ₦30 billion. The real question is whether the state can manage it sincerely, transparently, and effectively, especially in an election year.
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School feeding programmes are among the most vulnerable public interventions globally. They sit at the intersection of procurement, logistics, politics, and welfare—and when mismanaged, they become pipelines for leakage rather than lifelines for children.
Good Idea, Fragile Execution
There is no dispute about the value of school feeding. Evidence from multiple countries shows that well-run programmes improve attendance, reduce dropout rates, support local agriculture, and enhance learning outcomes. But those benefits only materialise when governance is tight.
₦30 billion is not just a budget line; it is a trust fund for children, most of whom will never know its value except through the meals they receive—or fail to receive. The state must therefore answer uncomfortable but necessary questions:
Who manages the fund?
Who selects the vendors?
What nutritional standards apply?
How are schools monitored?
What mechanisms prevent ghost pupils and inflated figures?
Without clear answers, the programme risks becoming an accounting exercise rather than a social intervention.
Infrastructure and Logistics Still Matter
Even a feeding programme does not exist in isolation. Many public schools in Enugu still struggle with basic infrastructure—poor kitchens, limited storage facilities, inadequate water supply, and overcrowded classrooms. How does the state intend to deliver meals safely and consistently under these conditions?
A feeding initiative that ignores infrastructure realities may inadvertently compromise hygiene, quality, and sustainability.
Teachers and School Administrators: Silent Stakeholders
Another overlooked element is the welfare and role of teachers and school administrators. These are the people who will supervise, document, and often absorb the operational burden of the programme. Yet many teachers remain underpaid, overstretched, and insufficiently supported.
Are teachers being trained for this additional responsibility?
Are schools being resourced to manage logistics?
Or will this become another unfunded mandate quietly dumped on already strained institutions?
Election-Year Temptations
That this ₦30 billion proposal lands in an election year heightens concern. History has taught Nigerians that welfare programmes announced close to elections often suffer from politicisation, rushed implementation, and post-election abandonment.
To reassure the public, Enugu State must deliberately depoliticise the initiative—through multi-year planning, independent oversight, and public reporting that extends beyond campaign cycles.
Credit Where It Is Due
It must be said that the current Enugu administration has shown commendable intent in prioritising social welfare and child development. Recent investments in education reforms, urban renewal, and improved security coordination suggest a government thinking beyond mere optics.
The school feeding proposal fits into that broader narrative of social responsibility. But intent must now be matched with institutional discipline.
The Question That Matters
This editorial is not asking whether ₦30 billion is too much. It is asking whether Enugu State is prepared to protect ₦30 billion from misuse.
Because the true test of governance is not how much is announced, but how well public trust is managed—especially when the beneficiaries are children with no voice, no vote, and no protection except the integrity of the system.
If Enugu gets this right, it sets a national example.
If it gets it wrong, ₦30 billion will vanish quietly—leaving behind full press releases and empty plates.
And that would be unforgivable.