Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke
Osun State Government spends over N32M million daily on it’s free school feeding programme, the O’Meals programme.
Information and Public Enlightenment commissioner, Kolapo Alimi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, while announcing a forthcoming high-level stakeholders’ conference aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the school feeding programme.
Themed “Sustainability of O’Meals for Improved Child Nutrition in Osun State”, the event is being organised by the state government through the Ministries of Education, Economic Planning, Budget and Development, and Federal Affairs.
According to the Commissioner, the conference is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, and will bring together development partners and international agencies involved in school feeding programmes across Africa and beyond.
“This significant conference aims to strengthen dialogue around the future of school feeding in sub-national contexts, with a particular focus on the unique case of Osun State,” Alimi said.
“As the only state in Nigeria to have consistently operated a structured school feeding programme since 2006, Osun’s O’Meals stands as a benchmark in the national conversation on food security, nutrition, and educational development.”
Alimi explained that the daily ₦32 million expenditure covers over 200,000 direct beneficiaries, including pupils, food vendors, and local suppliers, making the programme both a nutritional intervention and an economic empowerment strategy.
“The O’Meals programme is a critical tool for child welfare and poverty reduction. Osun State’s commitment has earned commendation from international agencies and development partners for its unwavering dedication to child nutrition and inclusive development,” he noted.
The conference, organised in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), will host leading global development partners such as:
Dangote Foundation, Family Health International (FHI360),
UN World Food Programme,
Nutrition International,
Partnership for Child development, and ActionAid Nigeria and food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Key objectives of the gathering include evaluating the sustainability of the O’Meals programme, sharing best practices, exploring new strategies for enhancing child nutrition, and expanding partnerships for broader impact in Osun.
Alimi emphasized that the event will provide a platform for policy makers, technical experts, and donor organisations to align the O’Meals programme with global development priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — especially on zero hunger, quality education, and good health and well-being.
Alimi stressed, “The Osun State Government remains committed to ensuring no child is left behind. Through strategic partnerships and purposeful leadership, Osun continues to set a national precedent for inclusive and sustainable development in education and nutrition”.
