Nairobi: The ongoing National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Nigeria has been recognised as a model for inclusive development, enhancing child nutrition, increasing school enrolment, empowering women, and supporting local farmers. Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor on School Feeding Programme, Fauziya Buhari-Ado, made this known while receiving the 2025 4th Humanitarian Bootcamp Award in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to Voice of Nigeria, Buhari-Ado described the initiative as a holistic approach that strengthens several sectors of the economy, noting that each meal served to schoolchildren represents not just nourishment, but also hope, care, and opportunity for the next generation. “Each meal we provide is not just food; it is a bridge to learning, a shield against poverty, and a promise that wherever we see these children, we care for them, and we will not abandon them. Feeding our children is not charity, it is nation-building,” she said.
Buhari-Ado expressed appreciation to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for his vision, trust, and leadership in championing the state’s school feeding initiative, a flagship social intervention that provides free daily meals to thousands of pupils across the state. “Governor Uba Sani’s confidence in my capacity to serve has made it possible to impact the lives of children across Kaduna State. Under his leadership, the School Feeding Programme has become a model of inclusive development improving nutrition, boosting school attendance, empowering women, and supporting local farmers,” the Special Assistant noted.
In her presentation titled ‘Feeding the Future: Leveraging Humanitarian Leadership to Achieve Food Security and Economic Transformation in Africa,’ the Special Assistant called for stronger humanitarian leadership and strategic partnerships to combat hunger and promote sustainable economic transformation across the continent. She stressed that food security must be seen as a strategic pillar of Africa’s social and economic development, adding that eradicating hunger is essential to ensuring stability, productivity, and peace.
Buhari-Ado also urged governments, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector to work collectively to end hunger in Africa. “When the day comes that no African child and no African adult goes to bed hungry, we will know that we have truly fed the future not through power, but through humanity, compassion, and love,” she said. She emphasised that genuine leadership must be anchored on empathy, compassion, and actionable policies that advance citizens’ welfare.
Buhari-Ado also paid tribute to women leaders who have played pivotal roles in promoting humanitarian action and leadership development across Africa. She commended Dr Martina Nentawe Yilwatda, Patron of the Women’s Leadership Network, for her foresight and mentorship, and Mrs Deborah Hornecker, the Network’s founder, for her resilience and commitment to women’s empowerment. “The Women’s Leadership Network represents a powerful platform for collaboration and transformation. It brings together professional women from diverse sectors to drive inclusion, social impact, and leadership development across communities,” the Special Assistant added.