GOVERNMENT FEEDING PROGRAMME AND REDUCTION OF HUNGER: AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLIS OF NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

This study assessed the impact of government feeding programme on reduction of hunger among adolescents otherwise referred to as secondary school students in Maiduguri metropolis of NorthEastern Nigeria. The population for this study comprised day public secondary schools in Maiduguri, Borno State, with a total population of nine thousand three hundred and thirty eight (9,338) students. Five public secondary schools were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample of 934 students was selected using simple and stratified random sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed questionnaire on government feeding programme among students in Maiduguri. The response mode for the instrument was a modified four points Likert type response mode of strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts, and percentage scores was used to answer the research question, while, Chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that the school feeding programme in the state does not reduce or satisfy hunger due to inconsistency or irregular availability of school meals. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that Borno State Government should intensify efforts to ensure proper implementation and funding of School Feeding Programme in the state. Parents should also encourage their children to come to school regularly so that they would not miss their own ration of school meals. Furthermore, Government should employ qualified food scientists, nutritionists, dieticians and caterers to assist in running the programme to make them responsible for the purchase of needed food items to be cooked in schools. Donor agencies and stakeholders in education should ensure that schools have constant supply of food through committed food distribution channels so as to ensure that the children do not go hungry.