The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says it has partnered with the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (RH-NHGSF) to register children benefiting from the programme with a National Identification Number (NIN).
NIMC says this partnership is aimed at “fostering inclusive access to the school feeding programme, enhancing transparency, and promoting accountability.
A press statement signed by Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, says in statement that every child in the programme will now be enrolled and assigned a NIN.
The school feeding programme, NIMC says, gives the identity management agency another way to expand NIN registration, particularly in rural areas where many children are not yet registered. As of January 2025, over 114.5 million Nigerians had been assigned a NIN, but millions—especially in remote communities—are still outside the system.
NIMC: Linking ID to school feeding expands NIN registration
The initiative is also expected to make the school feeding process more efficient and accountable.
The collaboration ties into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, with Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, NIMC Director-General and Princess Aderemi Adebowale, RH-NHGSF National Program Manager driving the effort, according to NIMC.
NIMC says that by linking children’s NINs to the feeding programme, this can create a database of school-aged children, which can help with planning and monitoring.
The school feeding programme, NIMC says, gives the identity management agency another way to expand NIN registration, particularly in rural areas where many children are not yet registered. As of January 2025, over 114.5 million Nigerians had been assigned a NIN, but millions—especially in remote communities—are still outside the system.
Globally, similar programmes have benefited from digital identity systems. India’s Aadhaar system, for instance, has been used to make welfare distribution more reliable and efficient.
“The NIMC remains dedicated to leveraging its expertise in identity management to drive sustainable development and equitable access to essential services for all Nigerians,” the identity agency says.
What is the Renewed Hope School Feeding Programme?
The RH-NHGSFP is a restructured version of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, first introduced in 2005 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. The programme was initially designed to improve the health and education outcomes of public primary school pupils by providing them with nutritious meals sourced from local farmers.
Although it was suspended in 2007 due to poor planning and insufficient resources, the programme was revived in 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari to address malnutrition, reduce the number of out-of-school children, and increase primary school enrollment.
In 2024, President Tinubu renamed the initiative as part of his Renewed Hope Agenda, expanding its scope to feed over 10 million pupils and further integrate local farmers into its supply chain.
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