Indonesia’s Free Meal Program Loses Leader as Turmoil Deepens
Indonesia's free meal program loses its leader after six weeks as budget cuts and corruption allegations pile up. Nanik Deyang cites health for her resignation.
Nanik Deyang, head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency, resigned on July 22, just six weeks after taking the role to oversee President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meal program. The departure marks another setback for an initiative central to Prabowo's policy agenda.
Deyang cited health reasons for her resignation. The announcement came as the agency faced compounding pressures: a recent budget reduction and graft accusations against her predecessor.
The program itself has drawn mixed reactions. Earlier this year, Indonesia reversed course on universal free school meals, shifting toward targeting lower-income students—a move the government justified on fiscal grounds. Despite this retrenchment, Prabowo has continued pushing the program forward even as public backing has weakened.
The leadership vacuum creates operational uncertainty for an initiative that aims to address nutrition across Indonesia's student population. The rapid turnover at the agency's helm signals ongoing friction between the program's ambitions and the resources allocated to it.
