Nigeria’s Future At Risk: Olowu Warns Federal Government Over Hunger Crisis

Oba Saka Matemilola, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, has stated that hunger among schoolchildren is a major threat to Nigeria’s future, attributing the Federal Government’s school feeding program’s failure to poor execution rather than flawed policy.

The monarch warned that if urgent interventions were not maintained, poverty and hunger could drive vulnerable children into crime, saying that no country could build a secure future while children attended school on empty stomachs.

In a press conference held on Monday to commemorate his fourth coronation anniversary at his palace in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Matemilola made this statement. He emphasized the significance of the Olowu Hope Initiative (OHI), the palace’s social intervention program.

He said;

“You can have a fantastic policy, but if you have the wrong people there, who are only interested in what they can get out of it, it will collapse. You must target those who really need it, and you must measure impact.”

“About 18 months ago, we began to notice, and we also received reports that some of the pupils in this primary school were not attending classes, mainly because their parents could not provide them with any meals.”

“This was really heart-wrenching. If you have a child who is seven, eight, 10 or 11 years old and does not have at least the basic meal, a minimum of two proper meals a day, how do you expect such a pupil to learn in school?”

“Parents are forced to divide little resources among three, four or five children. When one child eats in school, they focus the little money on the others.”

“We are not just doing charity. We are protecting our future. If we don’t feed them today, poverty can push them into crime tomorrow,” Oba Matemilola warned.

The Oluwo is unquestionably right in his warning. When projects are entrusted to the wrong hands, there is a high risk that they will never reach the people who need them most. Mismanagement and corruption can derail progress and exacerbate existing issues, such as hunger and poverty. Therefore, it is imperative that the government ensures that reliable, trustworthy individuals are appointed to oversee these critical initiatives. Only then can we be confident that resources are effectively utilized and genuinely serve the nation’s best interests.