Free Nutritious Meals Programme in Central Papua: A Long-Term Investment for Golden Generation 2045
Amid geographical challenges and limited access, the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme is bringing new hope for education in eastern Indonesia. The latest data from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education reveal that schools receiving the MBG programme have recorded an average reduction in hunger-related learning disruptions of 2.37 percentage points greater than schools not yet covered by the programme, based on implementation evaluations conducted from May–June 2025 through November–December 2025. In eastern Indonesia, this figure surges to 14.85 percentage points.
Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti described the programme as a long-term investment in Indonesia’s human development. “We are preparing the 2045 generation — those who today are still in early childhood education, primary school, junior and senior secondary school, and even those still in the womb,” he said.
Central Papua Police Chief Commissioner Jeremias Rontini confirmed that the police are targeting the launch of MBG operations at two of the eight district police stations (Polres) within Central Papua’s jurisdiction this year. “We are targeting five distribution points across two district police stations to implement the MBG programme,” he said. The two pilot areas are Polres Nabire and Polres Mimika. The targeted schools fall within the 3T category — underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions.
Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Central Papua Regional Office, Nalen Situmorang, disclosed that by December 2025, the MBG programme had reached 46,871 beneficiaries, comprising 45,368 schoolchildren and 1,503 toddlers and pregnant or nursing mothers requiring balanced nutritional intake.
Nalen expressed hope that by 2026, all districts in Central Papua would be able to enjoy the benefits of the MBG programme equitably. He affirmed that early nutritional fulfilment constitutes a long-term investment in building healthy, intelligent, and competitive human resources, whilst supporting the realisation of the Golden Indonesia Generation 2045.
Chairman of Committee IV of the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI), Senator Ahmad Nawardi, stated that President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programme, the Free Nutritious Meals initiative, represents one of the critical pathways towards Golden Indonesia 2045. According to him, the programme is not merely food assistance but a major step in building the quality of Indonesia’s people from an early age.
The MBG programme is targeted to reach up to 90 million children and pregnant women, with an allocation of approximately Rp71 trillion in 2025, as part of a long-term plan valued at US$8 billion through to 2029.