The removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria in 2023 was implemented as part of broader economic reforms intended to reduce government expenditure and redirect resources to critical social sectors. One of these sectors is education, through programmes such as the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme which is designed to improve pupils’ nutrition, enrolment, and learning outcomes. However, the increase in transportation and food costs, following subsidy removal has raised concerns about the continuity and effectiveness of the school feeding programme, particularly in North Central Nigeria where many households experience vulnerability. Anchored on Social Protection Theory, which emphasizes the role of government interventions in reducing poverty and vulnerability, this study examined the implications of fuel subsidy removal on the implementation of the school feeding programme in North Central Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised stakeholders involved in the implementation of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Benue, Niger, and Plateau States. A sample size of 400 respondents was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that fuel subsidy removal had a significant effect on the funding of the school feeding programme (R² = 0.465, β = -0.682, p < 0.05), meal provision (R² = 0.496, β = -0.704, p < 0.05), pupils’ enrolment and attendance (R² = 0.424, β = -0.651, p < 0.05), and local food procurement (R² = 0.517, β = -0.719, p < 0.05). The study concludes that the removal of fuel subsidy created financial and operational challenges that affected the effective implementation of the school feeding programme. It is recommended that the government should institutionalise an inflation-adjusted funding mechanism for the programme to ensure consistent meal delivery and protect vulnerable pupils in North Central Nigeria.

Keywords: Fuel Subsidy Removal, School Feeding Programme, Social Protection, Meal Provision, Local Food Procurement.