By Kelfala Kargbo
Freetown, 7th August 2026 – President Julius Maada Bio has announced that Sierra Leone’s school feeding programme now reaches more than one million pupils across 15 districts, a milestone he attributed to massive investment in domestic rice production.
Delivering his address at the State Opening of Parliament, President Bio said that on a daily basis, “locally produced rice now feeds 270,000 schoolchildren.” He emphasized that the initiative is improving school attendance while easing financial pressure on families.
The President highlighted that rice production has steadily increased, with Sierra Leone’s self-sufficiency rising from 68 percent in 2023 to 73 percent in 2025, cutting the national rice import bill by over US$18 million.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), food insecurity in Sierra Leone has dropped significantly, from 28 percent of households in 2023 to 13 percent in 2025.
President Bio underscored that the school feeding initiative is a central pillar of Feed Salone, one of the government’s “Big Five Game Changers.” The programme not only supports children’s education but also provides farmers with a reliable market for their produce.
In July, the President visited the Turma Bum rice farm, a major production site responsible for thousands of tons of rice. He urged citizens to embrace farming as a national duty, stressing that food self-sufficiency is key to Sierra Leone’s economic resilience.
With over one million pupils now benefiting from daily meals, the school feeding programme stands as a symbol of Sierra Leone’s progress in tackling hunger, boosting education, and strengthening local agriculture.
