…defends the “one egg, one child, one day” school feeding policy
Former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has renewed his call for a significant increase in public spending on health and education, warning that Nigeria’s progress will continue to be hampered unless the government decisively addresses what he described as the “sibling alliance against development: illiteracy and ill health.”
Mimiko made these remarks during the convocation conference of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi State, where he painted a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s human development indicators despite recent tax reforms that have increased government revenue.
Speaking on the topic ‘Poor health and illiteracy: alliance of brothers against development’, the former governor said that although the federal government has embarked on reforms such as removal of subsidies, exchange rate unification and tax changes planned for 2026, the impact will remain limited unless more funds are deliberately channeled into human capital development.
Noting that poor health and illiteracy continue to reinforce each other, trapping millions of Nigerians in poverty and weakening the country’s development prospects, he acknowledged ongoing policy efforts in both sectors but maintained that they must be intensified.
According to him, improved incomes thanks to the elimination of subsidies, exchange rate unification and the planned start of tax reforms in 2026 present a “little opportunity” for governments to redirect more resources towards human capital development.
Mimiko placed great emphasis on child nutrition, describing it as the critical intersection between health, education and agriculture.
He expressed concern that 40 percent of children under five in Nigeria are stunted due to malnutrition, a situation he said threatens the country’s long-term productivity.
To address this, he proposed a restructured, decentralized school feeding program in which the federal government sets broad guidelines and standards, while states handle direct implementation.
He recommended the inclusion of what he called “the irreducible minimum of one egg, one child, one day” in the daily school meal, arguing that such a measure would improve accountability and provide a major boost to the livestock and poultry industries.
On the issue of insecurity, the former governor insisted that Nigeria must decentralize its police system to effectively address the growing security challenges.
He also expressed optimism about President Bola Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” industrial policy, saying it has the potential to shift the national focus from exclusive reliance on market forces to more deliberate public interventions, including tariffs, subsidies and targeted industrial policies designed to stimulate economic growth.
Mimiko added that such investments are vital to producing the skilled and innovative citizens needed for sustainable development.
He stressed that increased investment should not be limited to the Federal Government, noting that state governments must also reflect their growing fiscal capacity in their budget priorities.
“As government revenues improve, the visible hand of the state must ensure fair redistribution by channeling more public resources into healthcare and education.”
He noted that such “investments are essential to produce the skilled and innovative citizens needed to drive sustainable national development.”
Mimiko emphasized that the expectation of better investment should apply not only to the federal government but also to state governments, which he said should reflect the new fiscal capacity in their budget priorities.
“Our message is simple. Greater public investment in health and education must be prioritized. The alliance between illiteracy and poor health must be confronted and reversed if Nigeria is to achieve meaningful development.”
Speaking briefly on the issue of insecurity, Mimiko said: “to address the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria, we must decentralize the police service.
“No federation like Nigeria has the kind of centralized police structure that we have in Nigeria”
On necessary industrialization, he expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration’s “Nigeria First” policy could help shift attention away from over-reliance on market forces and towards deliberate public policy that uses tariffs, subsidies and necessary industrial policies to drive growth and development.
“As government revenues improve, the visible hand of the state must ensure fair redistribution by channeling more public resources into healthcare and education,” he said.
He noted that “such investments are essential to produce the skilled and innovative citizens needed to drive sustainable national development.”
Mimiko emphasized that the expectation of better investment should apply not only to the federal government but also to state governments, which he said should reflect the new fiscal capacity in their budget priorities.
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