Liberia Education Ministry: WFP Partnership Extends School Feeding Program Through 2028

• The Government of Liberia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme (WFP) to extend the National School Feeding Programme through 2028.
• Under the new partnership, WFP will provide technical and institutional support to strengthen systems for sustainable and effectively managed school feeding by the Liberian Government.
• The agreement places increased emphasis on technology, monitoring, and accountability, with plans to expand the School Connect digital platform to over 300 schools.

The new agreement also reflects Liberia's efforts to transition towards national ownership of school feeding, ensuring that the programme remains a reliable component of the country's education system.

The Government of Liberia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme (WFP) to extend the National School Feeding Programme through 2028. The agreement, covering 2026-2028, marks another step towards Liberia's transition to greater national ownership of school feeding. Under the new partnership, WFP will provide technical and institutional support to strengthen systems for sustainable and effectively managed school feeding by the Liberian Government.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah emphasized the importance of school meals in children's education and development. He noted that regular meals can increase enrollment, improve attendance and retention, and enable children to focus on their studies.

The new agreement places increased emphasis on technology, monitoring, and accountability. The Ministry of Education plans to expand the School Connect digital platform to over 300 schools, providing authorities with timely information on programme implementation and strengthening transparency and accountability in meal delivery. This expansion will support real-time monitoring and enable better tracking of school feeding activities across participating schools.

The partnership comes as Liberia continues efforts to build stronger national systems capable of sustaining essential social programmes with reduced dependence on external implementation. The Government is expected to take on a greater role in determining priorities, mobilizing resources, and managing the delivery of school meals, while WFP provides technical expertise and institutional support.

The extension of the National School Feeding Programme through 2028 is significant for vulnerable children and communities where household economic conditions can make it difficult to provide nutritious meals. The programme is an important investment in education and human capital development, and its sustainability will depend on strengthening financing mechanisms, improving programme monitoring, and building institutional capacity.

The new agreement also reflects Liberia's efforts to transition towards national ownership of school feeding, ensuring that the programme remains a reliable component of the country's education system. With increased government responsibility and WFP support, the partnership aims to strengthen coordination between government institutions and development partners involved in education, nutrition, and child welfare.

This development may require compliance officers to review and update their organizations' financing mechanisms for school feeding programs, ensuring they align with the new partnership's expectations.

Source: Original reporting via Govt, WFP Extend School Feeding Program to 2028