The Federal Government earmarked ₦113.7 billion in the 2026 budget proposal for school-feeding programmes, scholarships and other critical education interventions.
Details of the allocation were contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of efforts to strengthen human capital development and improve access to education across the country.
A breakdown of the budget showed that ₦42 billion was set aside for the national school nutrition feeding programme aimed at improving enrolment, retention and learning outcomes among primary school pupils.
The government also allocated ₦35 billion to programmes targeting out-of-school children, as Nigeria continues to battle one of the highest numbers of children not enrolled in formal education globally.
In addition, ₦1.4 billion was provided for the servicing and verification of about 8,337 scholarship beneficiaries under various Federal Government scholarship schemes across multiple academic years.
The budget further earmarked ₦5.6 billion for the servicing of 1,532 scholars under the Bilateral Education Agreement in countries including China, Turkey, Russia and several European nations.
Another ₦1.7 billion was allocated for the award of 300 new foreign scholarships and the monitoring of existing scholars to ensure compliance and academic performance.
To enhance security in federal unity colleges, the government set aside ₦28 billion for perimeter fencing and the installation of solar-powered infrastructure in 118 unity schools nationwide.
The education-related allocations formed part of the Federal Government’s broader 2026 budget strategy focused on social investment, youth development and inclusive growth.