Hunger threatening Nigeria’s future – Olowu tells FG

The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola, has said hunger among schoolchildren poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s future, blaming the failure of the Federal Government’s school feeding programme on poor implementation rather than faulty policy.

The monarch said no nation could build a secure future while children attended school on empty stomachs, warning that poverty and hunger could push vulnerable children into crime if urgent interventions were not sustained.

Oba Matemilola stated this on Monday during a press briefing at his palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to mark his fourth coronation anniversary, where he highlighted the impact of the Olowu Hope Initiative (OHI), the palace’s social intervention programme.

He said the initiative is anchored on the strategic pillars of education, health and wellbeing, enterprise and skills development, and environmental sustainability and climate action, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Responding to questions on the Federal Government’s school feeding programme, the monarch said the initiative failed because it was not properly implemented.

“You can have a fantastic policy, but if you have the wrong people there, who are only interested in what they can get out of it, it will collapse. You must target those who really need it, and you must measure impact,” he said.

He said the palace’s experience with its Meal-a-Day programme showed that transparency, proper targeting and continuous assessment were essential for any school feeding initiative to succeed.

According to him, the programme was introduced after the palace discovered that many pupils were missing school because their parents could not afford to feed them.

“About 18 months ago, we began to notice, and we also received reports that some of the pupils in this primary school were not attending classes, mainly because their parents could not provide them with any meals,” he said.

Oba Matemilola disclosed that a comprehensive health screening conducted at ANLG Primary School revealed that more than 65 per cent of the pupils were either malnourished or severely malnourished.

“This was really heart-wrenching. If you have a child who is seven, eight, 10 or 11 years old and does not have at least the basic meal, a minimum of two proper meals a day, how do you expect such a pupil to learn in school?” he asked.

A follow-up assessment conducted recently, he added, showed improvements in the nutritional condition of some pupils, although many remained malnourished because the school meal was often the only food they received in a day.

“Parents are forced to divide little resources among three, four or five children. When one child eats in school, they focus the little money on the others,” he explained.

He urged individuals, organisations and communities to replicate similar programmes across the country, stressing that feeding vulnerable children should be viewed as an investment in Nigeria’s future rather than an act of charity.

“We are not just doing charity. We are protecting our future. If we don’t feed them today, poverty can push them into crime tomorrow,” Oba Matemilola warned.