In a bold step to address the growing challenge of out-of-school children and to improve learning outcomes in Zamfara State, Governor Dauda Lawal on Thursday officially flagged off a pilot school feeding programme at Dan-Turai Primary School in Gusau.
The initiative, backed by key development partners and non-governmental organisations, is part of the state’s broader emergency education response plan aimed at boosting student enrollment, retention, and classroom attendance by fighting hunger and malnutrition among schoolchildren.
Speaking during the launch, Governor Lawal described the programme as a “critical intervention” to reverse the education deficit in Zamfara, particularly among vulnerable children.
“This feeding programme is not just about meals. It’s about hope, access, and opportunity,” Lawal said. “We are determined to combat the decay in the education sector by working with stakeholders like UNICEF, the World Bank AGILE programme, and other NGOs to ensure every child has a reason—and the means—to stay in school.”
According to a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the pilot phase of the programme will target thousands of pupils in selected local government areas, with FINPACT Development Foundation sponsoring the feeding of 1,000 pupils in Gusau, Maru, Anka, and Talatar Mafara, while the International Centre for Economic Development will support 3,300 pupils in Gusau, Shinkafi, and Talatar Mafara.
Governor Lawal also highlighted recent efforts by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which in collaboration with UNICEF, formed a technical committee to identify out-of-school children across all 14 local government areas and reintegrate them into the classroom.
“Our state faces one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in the country. This programme is one of many deliberate steps to change that narrative,” he added.
Stakeholders at the event applauded the initiative, calling it a life-changing policy that would not only improve child nutrition and school performance but also reduce child labour, street hawking, and early marriage, especially among girls.
Governor Lawal urged more donor agencies and corporate organisations to support the education revival effort, stressing the need for collective investment in Zamfara’s future.
“Let this be a model for what is possible when government, NGOs, and communities work together,” the governor stated. “With consistent support, we can turn Zamfara into a beacon of inclusive, quality education in the North.”
The pilot programme is expected to expand in the coming months, with plans underway to scale it to more schools across rural and underserved communities in the state.