The sustainability of Sierra Leone’s School Feeding Program is under serious threat due to prolonged delays in payments to suppliers and implementing partners, according to the National Programme Coordinator of the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) initiative, Mr. Augustine Moses Koroma.
In a recent interview with Global Times, Mr. Koroma warned that the program, which provides daily meals to over 300,000 primary school pupils across rural communities, may soon collapse if urgent financial commitments are not fulfilled by the Ministry of Finance.
“Suppliers have not been paid for up to six months,” Mr. Koroma revealed. “Many rely on bank loans to keep deliveries going, but that model is no longer sustainable. Some partners have already threatened to withdraw from the program unless payments are made soon.”
The School Feeding Program, a critical component of the FQSE initiative introduced by President Julius Maada Bio in 2018, has been credited with significantly increasing school enrollment and attendance in underserved communities by ensuring that pupils receive at least one nutritious meal per school day.
Mr. Koroma emphasized that the success of the program hinges on timely financial support, without which the gains made in education access and retention could be reversed.
The Ministry of Finance has yet to officially comment on the reported backlog, but calls for prompt intervention are growing louder among stakeholders who fear that the collapse of the feeding scheme could undermine the broader goals of the Free Quality School Education initiative.
Education advocates are urging the government to prioritize funding for the program, warning that failure to do so could have long-term consequences on child welfare, literacy rates, and national development.
By Fred Samson
