ECOWAS Secretariat
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is championing a €4.5 million initiative to advance integrated school feeding models across its member states, fostering sustainable practices that enhance scalability and impact.
At the National Policy Forum on “Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme for Sustainable Economic Growth and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” organized by ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), ECOWAS President Dr. Omar Touray, represented by Mr. Alain Traore, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the initiative’s role in supporting 16 NGO-led projects, including two in Nigeria. These projects aim to refine existing school feeding programs for greater effectiveness.
“Food and nutrition security, particularly through school feeding, remains a strategic priority for ECOWAS,” Touray stated, highlighting the program’s potential to improve child nutrition, boost academic performance, and bolster local agriculture. He noted that home-grown school feeding stimulates rural economies and reduces poverty by leveraging local production.
Citing the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, Touray revealed that in 2024, approximately 25 million children in West Africa benefited from school canteens, yet coverage remains insufficient. “Greater political will and large-scale implementation are critical for the sustainability of these programs,” he urged.
The ECOWAS initiative, backed by Spanish cooperation, promotes inclusive approaches integrating justice, agriculture, education, health, statistics, finance, and budget sectors. “This unity in diversity underscores the strategic importance of school feeding as a national priority,” Touray added.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, represented by Dr. Nuhu Kilishi, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety, echoed the sentiment, stating, “The home-grown school feeding program empowers smallholder farmers, enhances market access, and drives economic growth.” He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to food and nutrition security, emphasizing that such programs create jobs, increase school enrollment, provide nutritious meals, and strengthen local economies.
The forum underscored ECOWAS’s vision of “People: Peace and Prosperity for All” by 2050, with Touray commending President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to regional integration. As ECOWAS and its partners push for scalable, sustainable school feeding models, the initiative promises to transform education, agriculture, and economic landscapes across West Africa.
NAN
