Spotlights
From Trump: More trouble for Nigeria’s businesses, tech innovators, students
Ambassador Joe Keshi is Nigeria’s retired top career diplomat to the United States (US).
In this interview, Keshi diagnoses the US reduction, last week, of the five-year visa validity for Nigerians to three months, effective July 8, 2025, stressing the urgent need for Nigeria to negotiate and build a cordial relationship with the US as this means more trouble for Nigeria’s businesses, tech innovators and students based on the cost of visa renewal every three months.
Although the US Mission in Nigeria, which announced the new regime, initially gave reciprocity as the reason for the action, it later reversed itself, saying it was not a reciprocal action.
According to the embassy, the measure also has no connection with Nigeria’s stance on accepting deportees from Venezuela, the recent introduction of e-visa policies, or its affiliations with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South-Africa (BRICS), a group of five emerging economies which has expanded into 11 nations and which Nigeria is seeking to join. But rather, it is “a part of an ongoing global review of the use of US visas by other countries using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard US immigration systems.”
“We value our longstanding partnership with Nigeria and remain committed to working closely with the Nigerian public and government officials to help them meet those criteria and benchmarks, thereby ensuring safe, lawful, and mutually beneficial travel between our nations,” the embassy wrote in a Friday post on X.
The Federal Government faulted the US action, with officials suggesting different reasons but saying the US action was not justified. The Presidency issued a statement, noting that the claim of reciprocity as the reason for the visa policy did not accurately reflect the reality of Nigeria’s current visa policy toward US citizens.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, for his part, linked the new policy to the rejection of Venezuelan deportees from the US, a claim the country’s Nigerian Mission denied. The minister said the pressure on Nigeria to accept Venezuelan deportees is unfair as the country already has its own problems.
“It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own”, he said during a live program on TV. “We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria for crying out loud. We already have 230 million people. You will be the same people that would castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelans from US prisons to be brought in”. Meanwhile, the retired diplomat says: “The worst part is that this policy would increase the corruption in the process. No embassy, particularly in Nigeria, would tell you that there’s no corruption in visa issuance. There’s huge corruption. So Nigerians pay a lot, and with this new policy, we probably have to pay more”. Excerpts:
What impact do you foresee the new single-entry visa policy having on Nigerian travelers and businesses with frequent US visits?
Naturally, the policy is going to have lots of impact, and it’s going to create disruption, particularly for business people who are always on the move. When you consider the tedious process of applying for and getting a US visa, you can apply this month, and they will tell you that the interview is next year. So if you have an urgent meeting in Washington, United States, it simply means that you can’t go. This is why the development is very unfortunate. But one way or the other, it hurts both sides.
But it hurts Nigeria more than it hurts the US because, quite often, how many Americans come to Nigeria anyway? So Nigeria would bear the burden of this kind of policy. In terms of cost, it means that Nigerians would have to be paying so much every three months to travel to the United States. Already find out how much Nigerians pay to get visas from these advanced countries. It is so mind-boggling that these countries would turn around to lecture us on capital flight through their visa policies.
They are, actually. They are actually contributing to their capital flight both legally and illegally. The worst part is that this policy would increase the corruption in the process. No embassy, particularly in Nigeria, would tell you that there’s no corruption in visa issuance.
There’s huge corruption. So Nigerians pay a lot, and with this new policy, we probably have to pay more. I seriously hope that efforts being made by Minister of Interior Olubumi Ojo and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are fruitful and that the US would listen to our plea and go back to the old policy.
How can the Nigerian government navigate the global visa reciprocity process to secure more favourable visa terms with the US?
We have to be realistic about issues. In this game, Nigeria has no chance of winning. The bulk of people who visit Nigeria from the United States are Nigerians, or you could say Nigerian-Americans. Some have found the way to circumvent the ‘wahala’ by having Nigerian and American passports. But the truth is, for us to navigate, we have to reach an agreement with the United States because more Nigerians travel to the United States and more Americans are travelling to Nigeria.
90 per cent of Americans that come to Nigeria are Nigerian-Americans. While in service, I had been urging Nigeria to build a far more cordial relationship with the United States, but we pretend to deceive ourselves by saying we have a strategic relationship with the US. We never had any strategic relationship with them.
Can you compare Nigeria’s importance to the US to that of Egypt or Israel? No, you cannot. But building a far more cordial relationship makes more sense than deceiving ourselves with being more strategic. So the new policy gives us an opportunity to evaluate our relationship with the United States and begin to see how to build it up. We do not have American investments in Nigeria when compared to South Africa, which had 6, 000 American companies in South Africa. I don’t know how many American companies are in Nigeria. International investment should not be one-sided. Nigerians in the tech industry and students who want to go are now to be constrained by this policy, which is why every effort should be made to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
How can Nigerian citizens adjust their travel plans to mitigate the effects of the new visa policy?
The best adjustment we can make is to negotiate. I gathered there was an agreement on a US five-year visa but that our implementation was poor. While the US began theirs immediately, it took us some time. I think there’s more to it.
Coming close to it is the BRICS meeting where US President Donald Trump vowed to punish those doing business without using the dollar. Also, as Americans are changing their policy, the UAE is doing the same thing. So you begin to ask yourself if we are not responsible for all this. We need to find out what our people are doing wrong that is warranting this staggering policy.
What role do you think security concerns play in the US’s decision to implement this new visa policy for Nigerian citizens?
I don’t think security concerns played a role. How many Americans come to Nigeria compared to the Indians?
Could the policy update affect Nigeria’s global reputation and relationships with other countries?
When I was serving in Atlanta many years ago, I said to a governor in the northern states that it is not only the misbehaviour of Nigerians that creates image problems for Nigeria; government-owned mistakes and behaviour create more image problems for Nigeria. I still maintain my position on that.
What we should advocate is that the Nigerian government should, as a matter of urgency and as a matter of policy, review all its visa relationships with several countries.
The government should first discuss with these countries, particularly countries like England, how to reduce the cost of visas. Have you ever done research on how much Nigerians pay to get visas to a number of these countries?
Calculate it: if about 20,000 Nigerians get a visa from an embassy, how much would an embassy be making in one year?
That is how much Nigeria is losing to these countries through the visa review. The visa review of all the countries in Nigeria does not favour Nigerians. The annoying thing is these countries make a lot of money, both from the legal ones Nigerians pay as well as the illegal ones through middlemen.
Are there potential opportunities for Nigeria to diversify its international partnerships and reduce dependence on the US due to this policy change?
In international relations, who are your friends? If you build four blocks, who would be in the first block? Who are those who would be in the second block? Who would be in the third block? Considering our economy, the Asian countries would fill the first block; there are over 200 Indian companies in Nigeria. Japanese companies are in Nigeria, Korean companies are in Nigeria.
Now, how many British companies do we have today in Nigeria? Maybe they provide services; where do you place the Americans? On the flipside, what is Nigeria itself doing in terms of production? What exactly are we exporting to these countries that would make us strategic partners in terms of trade beyond oil? Is it enough to make us strategic partners in terms of trade? It is when we become more productive that our currency is strengthened…otherwise all these we are doing are cosmetics.
In other words, we can strengthen our currency via production and our exports, not imports.
It is what makes China so rich today. The bulk of the taxes President Trump ordered were against Asian countries. It’s because they export lots of goods to the United States. They are the US’s largest trading partners, but Nigeria does not have that kind of advantage. The bottom line is production on all fronts.
Culled from Vanguard
A Nigerian lady who has been in the United Kingdom for about three years has cried out online after being asked to leave
In a video, she shared her frustration with netizens including the mistake she made that caused her to be deported. Click link to continue reading.
Emotional reactions trailed her video on TikTok as social media users stormed the comments section to console her.
A Nigerian student in the United Kingdom faced deportation after making an honest mistake at work. Enyi Onyinye Grace, who had been in the UK for three years, shared her emotional story with netizens.
Nigerian lady mandated to leave UK immediately
The video, posted by @instablog9ja on X, showed Ms Grace in tears as she narrated her experience.
According to her, she had overworked without realising it, and her employer informed her that the Home Office had contacted them.
She provided her employer with the reasons for her actions and thought the matter was resolved.
However, the Home Office later contacted her, stating that she had exceeded her allowed work hours and requested an explanation.
Ms Grace claimed she was transparent about her situation, explaining that she had been struggling with depression following her father’s death.
Despite her honesty, her university withdrew its sponsorship, mentioning her mistake as the major reason.
Ms Grace said she pleaded with the university to reconsider, explaining that she was in a vulnerable state, but they reportedly refused to help.
She lamented that she was treated like someone who had intentionally done wrong.
Even when she asked if she could complete her studies online whilst returning to her home country, the university refused, meaning she would not be able to obtain her degree.
Ms Grace had achieved good academic results, which was what her father had always wanted for her.
However, she was given a deportation order with immediate effect, without being allowed to complete her studies
Having established herself in the UK over three years, Ms Grace expressed pain about returning to her home country, where she had no one and nothing to return to. With a heavy heart, she was making plans to leave the UK.
In her words:
“I never knew that one day I will come out vulnerable like this. I made a mistake, I made a mistake at work. I overworked unknowingly. My employer messaged me to say that the home office called them, and I gave them my reasons and they submitted to the home office and I thought everything was fine. I lost my dad, my sponsor, and I tried as much as possible to come out of the depression I was passing through even if it was hard. Ah my heart is aching my heart is breaking to pieces.
“The home office messaged me to say that I overworked my hours and I need to give my reasons so I gave them the honest reasons why I made this mistake, because currently in as much as I’m passing through all these my progression results is good. I’m currently in first class, and that was what my dad always wanted for me. They didn’t listen to me. They asked me to leave the country with immediate effect. They didn’t give me chance to you know at least to complete my studies. That was the only thing I wanted, I just wanted to complete my studies.
“I was being very honest, really honest. I told them what I was passing through. I told them what happened but unfortunately the uni withdrew my sponsorship, they withdrew my sponsorship. I cried I cried I begged them I told them that I was just I was just in a vulnerable state. They didn’t come through for me. They were only treating me like a thief. I’ve asked the uni if they would allow me even if I go back to my country to allow me finish my course online, at least that was the only thing I asked but they said no they said they can’t so I can’t even get my degree.
“I was being very honest really honest I told them what I was passing through I told them what happened but unfortunately the union withdrawed my sponsorship they withdrawed they withdrawed my sponsorship I cried I cried I begged them I told them that I was just I was just in a vulnerable state they didn’t come through for me they only treating me like a thief I’m treating me like a thief I’ve asked the union if they would allow me even if I go back to my country to allow me finish my course online at least that was the only thing I asked but they said no they said they can’t so I can’t even get my degree.
“It’s been three years. Three years of pain, three years of constant pain. I had to work even when I’m sick. I had to work even when I’m depressed. I had to work even when I don’t know what to do. I held on so strong. I held on so strong. But then no help. No route, currently I’m making my plans to leave the country. I’m making my plans to leave. They asked me to leave with immediate effect. This is a country I’ve stayed for three years. I’ve established myself for three years. What am I going back to? I have nobody to go back to. I have nothing to go back to.”
Reactions as Nigerian lady faces deportation
Nigerians stormed the comments section to react to the video.
Treazy said: “Nigerians going abroad should know that abroad isn’t Nigeria. Where people get reckless and ignore the laws, the systems work, and you will get caught. Stop crying and come back home, at least in Nigeria, you can break the law easily, and no one will hold you accountable.”
One gentle said: “Ah this is a problem own this one nothing can be done except God intervention.”
Edgard said: “Hei, kindly join our midnight online prayer named Alpha Hour with his servant Pastor Elvis Agyeman, God will surely intervene in your situation. Stay blessed!”
Memphis said: “Working 50hrs a week as a student is insane. The gap from 20 to 50 is to wide and obvious. These people are it going to pity yall, they don’t care, just abide by their rules man. Idk why this video is on the internet anyway.”
Olusegun reacted: “God Abeg ooo. Tho this people strictly work by rules, truth and honesty. I do feel pity for her and hoping she can appeal the decision which I know nothing about sorry dear, brace up.”
Great Tony said: “They can’t do that! She didn’t commit any crime. They should fine her and give a serious warning of deportation if this happens again. You can treat her like that. She should file for appeal.”
Tension hangs thick in the air of Enugu State following the shocking and brutal murder of a beloved Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya.
The tragic incident unfolded on Friday evening along the dimly lit Eha-Alumona–Eha-Ndiagu Road, nestled in the Nsukka Local Government Area. Click link to continue reading
Fr. Eya, who served as the parish priest of St. Charles Catholic Church in Eha-Ndiagu, was known for his dedicated service to the community and was held in high regard by his congregation.
Eyewitness accounts and initial reports painted a grim picture, suggesting that armed kidnappers were responsible for the attack, targeting the cleric during his journey home.
Social media quickly buzzed with alarming posts, claiming that gunmen had opened fire on Fr. Eya’s vehicle, resulting in his instant death while some passengers traveling with him were abducted. However, as the story evolved, local sources revealed a more unsettling narrative—one that hints at premeditated murder rather than an opportunistic kidnapping.
According to insiders from the community who spoke to journalists on Saturday morning, it appears that the priest was deliberately targeted. He was reportedly driving alone when the assailants, who were observed riding motorbikes, ambushed him near the ongoing construction site of a Type C hospital, a location that has now become a chilling backdrop to this somber event.
“They shot and deflated his tyres, forcing the vehicle to stop. They then approached and shot him multiple times at close range. This does not look like a kidnapping situation,” the source stated.
The late priest hailed from Ugbaike, in Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the tragic development, the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, Fr. Cajetan Iyidobi, issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
“Shocked to the marrow, it is with crushing pain and sorrow, yet with total submission to the will of the Almighty God and firm hope in the resurrection of the dead, that I inform you of the tragic death of yet another brother of ours, Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya.
“He was shot dead yesterday, 19 September 2025, along the Eha-Alumona–Eha-Ndiagu Road. Let us remain ardent in prayer that God sees us through this period of devastating anguish. May his soul rest in peace. Amen,” the statement reads.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed more than 25 terrorists in a coordinated night air operation at Bula in Yobe and Banki axis of Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Saturday in Abuja.
Ejodame said the operations were conducted on Sept. 18 following intelligence from ground troops.
He said a force package of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets and strike aircraft tracked terrorist movements and identified multiple groups north of Banki.
He said real-time updates were relayed to ground forces and base operations, enabling synchronised action.
“The strike aircraft engaged the terrorists in three successive precision strikes on their movement routes and assembly areas, effectively neutralising more than 25 fighters.
“Post-strike surveillance confirmed ground forces remained in defensive positions, with no further threats observed,” he said.
Ejodame said the operation underscored NAF’s decisive support to ground troops, denial of terrorist freedom of action, and unwavering commitment to securing Nigeria’s North-East.
Ifeanyi Eze Okorienta, also known as Gentle de Yahoo, self-proclaimed Commander of the Biafra Liberation Army (BLA), has been responsible for significant unrest in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State for several years.
His activities have resulted in considerable destruction, loss of life, and the displacement of residents, who have been compelled to endure a pervasive atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Click link to continue reading.
Recently, his apprehension by security forces has marked a pivotal shift in the region’s security landscape.
Okorienta was accused of orchestrating numerous high-profile attacks, kidnappings, and killings in the region. His gang had taken control of several communities, imposing their rule through violence and intimidation.
An indigene of Aku autonomous community in Okigwe Local Government Area, he was reportedly chased out of Orsu in Orlu LGA about four years ago before he took his nefarious activities to his hometown, committing numerous atrocities including the murder of a soldier couple returning home for their traditional marriage.
In a particularly gruesome incident, the woman, an army officer, was beheaded, causing terror to loom endlessly over the communities under his sphere. Yet his reign had begun in an innocuous manner as he and members of his group were only involved in mediating in land disputes. Families who had land quarrels would report to them and they would intervene.
The trend continued until their mediation began to wear the toga of violence and caused people to lose their lives.
In the process, they graduated into kidnappers, targeting members of the political class in particular to the extent that many were forced to quit politics. As a result, Okigwe LGA saw significant decline in political participation, as people were afraid to identify themselves as politicians for fear of attack.
Okigwe residents were then forced to pay homage to Gentle Yahoo’s group and seek their approval for even the simplest of social activities like marriage, burials or festivals.
An Imo resident said: “We cannot step a foot into Okigwe Local Government Area even as Imo indigenes because of these bandits.
“They mount checkpoints in all the villages, break into houses and occupy properties without approval. Even houses built by people in the diaspora are not spared.”
The atmosphere became so tense that many residents fled their homes, seeking refuge in neighbouring communities. Businesses have collapsed in the area and social life has come to a standstill.
Once-thriving communities like Ihube, Aku, Umulolo, Agbobu, Amuro, Umuowa Ibu, Umualumoke, Ezinachi and others are now like ghost towns.
A culture of violence
Gentle de Yahoo’s group has been linked to numerous atrocities, including organ harvesting, kidnapping and armed robbery. They have also been accused of seizing people’s farmlands, harvesting the crops and claiming ownership. Traditional rulers have been forced to pay homage to the group, with some even cooking for them.
It was gathered that nearly all the traditional rulers in the affected areas pay homage to the group to avoid being harmed. No monarch in Okigwe dared organise a programme or celebrate the new yam festival without first obtaining their approval.
Traditional rulers were forced to sympathise with the group and maintain communication with them; the only exemptions being Eze Acho, who was kidnapped and rescued but has since avoided Okigwe LGA, and Eze Aku, who has since fled the area.
“The boys are well-armed with bombs everywhere, and that is why the military finds it difficult to get to them,” a resident said, preferring anonymity for safety reasons.
“They have laid mines in many places, and one of the things they did was to subject the people to oath-taking, never to speak out or betray them.”
Arrest enmeshed in controversy
Reports quoting sources at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army had claimed that troops of Operation UDOKA had arrested Okorienta during a raid in Okigwe Local Government Area.
The operation, carried out on a Sunday, was said to have followed credible intelligence on the hideouts of the criminal kingpin.
Troops were also said to have recovered an English pistol, 120 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 25 rounds of 7.62 NATO ammunition, a live cartridge, six mobile phones as well as police and military uniforms.
The Nigerian Army has since confirmed that Okorienta was the target of a major operation in his stronghold at Ihube. But while some reports suggest he was killed, others indicate that he might have escaped.
Consequently, many residents remain skeptical despite reports of Gentle Yahoo’s arrest by the Nigerian Army.
“As we speak, Gentle de Yahoo is alive, moving freely in Okigwe,” a resident who prefers anonymity said.
“If the police or security agencies say they have arrested him, we challenge them to make the picture public.”
A resident of Umuowa Ibu, who gave his name simply as Boss, claimed that the news that Okorienta was arrested or eliminated is fake.
He said: “As we speak, Gentle de Yahoo is alive, moving freely in Okigwe.
“If the police or security agencies say they have arrested him, we challenge them to make the picture public. There should be nothing secret about his arrest.
“Remember, when Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya, it was not a secret. They brought him in handcuffs.
“When Simon Ekpa was arrested, they made it open and showed us the picture.
“There were many people before now who have terrorised other states, and when they are arrested, they would parade them.”
He said Gentle de Yahoo has committed so many crimes that he should not be tried secretly if at all he is arrested.
“I dare the Imo State Government, the military, police command, the Tiger Base or anyone who says that Gentle has been arrested to show the pictorial evidence. They should show us his corpse if he has been eliminated.
“Among the five people they claimed that they have killed, two were ladies and the second in command escaped, so there is no evidence to show that one of other three persons is Gentle.
“Now we are suspecting a foul play. Why the fake news and who sponsored it?
“And the state government is yet to respond to the news of Gentle de Yahoo being killed. No official report from Imo State Government with regard to this issue.
“We are now saying that the state government knows what they are doing. So the government and the military have alot of explanations to make. ”
He said a top military officer contacted also said he was not aware of Okorienta’s arrest, adding: “Since an army officer is not aware, who arrested Gentle.? Even all the security agencies in Okigwe denied the arrest.
“So I am confirming to you 101 per cent that Gentle has not been arrested by anyone. I made all my investigations and found that this guy is still alive.
“They did not even get to where he is. They went to where they suspected he was, but he was not there. The 2ic and his second in command were not there.”
He queried: “How are they obtaining their weapons, considering they operate with machine guns?
“How did they get those equipment, sophisticated weapons that are under the control of government?”
He noted that the group engages in daily shootouts with security agents but never runs out of ammunition. “They have walkie-talkie gadgets with which they communicate with themselves,” the resident said.
The question many are asking is how they are able to sustain their operations, given the kidnappings and other activities they engage in.
Another resident said: “The government has not been able to identify who has been supplying them weapons for more than four years, and they have sustained their operation.”
The situation, he said, has led to a mass exodus of residents, with many fleeing to neighbouring communities.
“Social life is gone in Okigwe Local Government,” the resident lamented.
“They have informants, and almost all the Okada riders in Okigwe are their informants.”
A call to action
Residents are calling on the state government to take decisive action to address the crisis. “We want the state government to block the source of supply of arms to this deadly group, equip local vigilante groups with arms, vehicles, and other facilities that will aid them to comb bushes and fish these bad boys out,” a resident said.
As the situation in Okigwe continues to deteriorate, one thing is clear: the people of Okigwe deserve peace, security, and justice. The government must act swiftly to restore order and bring Gentle Yahoo’s reign of terror to an end.
The Federal High Court in Abuja will today (Monday) hear an application by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking an order for his transfer from the custody of the Department of State Services to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical care.
The motion, filed by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) on September 3, followed what his lawyers described as a “worrisome decline” in his health while in detention.
Vacation judge, Justice Musa Liman, had earlier granted leave for the application to be heard during the court’s annual vacation period, citing its urgency.
“I believe that the right to health is as important as the right to life. And so I agree that this matter can be heard by the vacation court,” Justice Liman ruled, fixing September 15 for hearing and directing Kanu’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku (SAN), to serve processes on the DSS.
In his supporting affidavit, Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu, deposed that the IPOB leader had recently complained of persistent weakness and body pains.
He said doctors invited to examine him discovered worrying health complications.
According to him, a team of doctors led by Emeritus Prof. Austin A.C. Agaji conducted tests in August and, on September 1, informed the family that Kanu was suffering from kidney and liver-related issues, dangerously low potassium levels, and a swelling under his armpit requiring urgent medical investigation.
Agabi told the court that medical reports recommended Kanu’s immediate transfer to the National Hospital as an interim measure.
“The applicant’s health is seriously deteriorating considering the nature of his confinement, thereby making it more pressing to bring this application before a vacation judge,” Agabi argued.
“The examination revealed issues with his pancreas and liver, as well as an emerging lump underneath his armpit and dangerously low levels of potassium. The doctors have recommended that he be moved to the National Hospital to forestall further decline.”
Agabi further claimed that a letter by the doctors to the DSS Director-General advising Kanu’s transfer had gone unanswered.
Kanu is currently standing trial before Justice James Omotosho of the same court on terrorism-related charges.
His lawyers noted that a pending bail application filed on May 19 could not be heard before the commencement of the court’s vacation, leaving him in continued detention.
They argued that granting the transfer request would not prejudice the DSS.
“The grant of the application would not occasion any injustice to the DSS,” Agabi maintained. “The court is imbued with jurisdiction to hear and grant the prayers sought in the application.”
The application, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, lists 11 grounds why the request should be granted, with Kanu’s legal team insisting that his right to health and life were at stake.
The court is expected to rule on the application after hearing arguments from both sides today.
Kanu has been in the DSS detension since 2021 after his recapture in Kenya and repatriation to Nigeria.
According to Nairametrics, the Federal Government has announced plans to expand the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to reach 50 million primary school pupils by 2026.
National Programme Manager, Dr. Aderemi Adebowale, of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the expansion would cover all primary school levels, from Primary 1 to Primary 6, while gradually including out-of-school children.
She noted that the programme is designed to provide daily nutritious meals to children across Nigeria, ensuring access to balanced nutrition as part of the government’s broader.
“We are working to include early years – primary 1 to 3, primary 4 to 6 – in the school feeding programme, and also out-of-school children, which we are handling step by step to integrate.
“So, by the year 2026, we are looking at feeding close to 50 million pupils in primary school in Nigeria,” she stated.
Adebowale explained that the cost per child is projected to range between N500 and N1,000 per meal, which she said is sufficient to provide a nutritious and appealing plate.
She added that the agency would control costs by coordinating with small-holder farmers, aggregators, supply chain partners, and other stakeholders to agree on reasonable prices and ensure efficient service delivery.
The expansion builds on the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Project, launched on May 27, 2025, which aimed to reach 20 million out-of-school and underserved children across Nigeria.
The programme is part of the wider National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and is implemented in partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education and the National Identity Management Commission, focusing on providing meals, improving school participation, and supporting access to education for children in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
The Nigerian government allocated N100 billion in the 2025 budget for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP). The funding was intended to continue the initiative, providing meals to public primary school students across the country.
The programme also seeks to improve education and health outcomes for children while supporting local agriculture through partnerships with small-holder farmers and supply chain stakeholders.
Primate Ayodele: A Priest Or Political Analyst? His 8 Prophecies That Failed Emerge
Liverpool Beat Everton In Derby Clash, See New EPL Table
FULL LIST: 7 Unfulfilled Prophecies By Primate Elijah Ayodele; ‘What He Said About Jonathan’
VIDEO: Nigerian Lady Cries Out After Facing Immediate Deportation From UK Over ‘Mistake’
SHOCKER: How Gunmen Murdered Catholic Priest, What They Do After Exposed
NAF Airstrikes Kill 25 Terrorists In Borno, Yobe
IPOB: How Gentle De Yahoo Turned Southeast To Blood River EXPOSED
2027 Elections: List of 5 Prominent Nigerians Tinubu Is Considering As Next INEC Chairman Revealed
Fight Back: Fresh Tension As Fubara Told To Sack All Appointees [DETAILS DETAILS]
4 Soldiers Killed In Helicopter Crash In U.S
Politics5 days ago2027: Peter Obi To Withdraw From Presidential Race For Jonathan, Full Details Emerge
- Education4 days ago
Meet Top 10 Most Expensive Schools Where Pupil Pays ₦7.5 Million Per Term
- Politics4 days ago
New INEC Chairman Identity Exposed Ahead 2027 Election, Northern Elder Sends Scary Warning To Tinubu
- Business4 days ago
Naira Crushes Dollar Again, Breaks Seven-Month Records, See New Rate
- Politics5 days ago
Senate Reveals Only People That Can Decide Natasha’s Fate,” National Assembly Clerk Opens
- News3 days ago
10 Miracles Allegedly Happening Under Tinubu Government Unveiled, Full List Emerges
- Politics4 days ago
VIDEO: What God Told Me; Primate Ayodele Issues Strong Warning To ADC In New Prophecy
