In a statement on Wednesday, presidential special assistant Dirgayuza Setiawan said that Nanik’s reform initiatives had saved hundreds of billions of rupiah as she took action against 414 problematic kitchens, formed 11 internal reform teams and refocused the national food initiative towards vulnerable populations.

Her resignation comes as the flagship programme faces another round of budget cuts.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Indonesia had further reduced the programme’s budget to 229 trillion rupiah (US$12.81 billion) from 268 trillion rupiah, with senior officials of the agency saying that further cuts are possible.

The programme was originally allocated 335 trillion rupiah in 2026 with a target of reaching 83 million recipients by the end of the year but the budget has been gradually reduced in an effort to boost efficiency.

In June, Reuters reported that BGN was targeting a budget cut of more than US$2 billion, reducing the number of beneficiaries and kitchen operators.

In a press conference on Tuesday, the agency’s secretary Lili Khamiliyah said that Prabowo has given the agency a month to come up with the final budget figure following an internal review, adding that the 229 trillion rupiah cited was a provisional figure, with further room for efficiency measures.

"There will be … reduction in the number of beneficiaries. The president no longer targets a certain number, but he wants improvement in quality so that there is no more food poisoning," Agustina Arumsari, deputy head of BGN, said at the same press conference.

The ambitious free meals programme was a key part of Prabowo's campaign to win the presidency in 2024 to provide free meals daily to 83 million children and pregnant women across the sprawling archipelago.

It has come under scrutiny since its launch in January 2025.

Examples include reported links to cases of food poisoning that had affected at least 33,000 children as of April, according to Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental organisation.

In her statement on Wednesday, Nanik said that she will continue supporting Prabowo in the effort to improve people’s lives through the free nutritious meals programme.

“I will continue to fight for and support the president, who is currently working tirelessly to improve the lives of the Indonesian people,” she said.

“Having worked alongside him for 14 years, I know for certain that the Free Nutritious Meals programme was never intended for political purposes, contrary to what some people have alleged,” she added.

“It is genuinely designed as a nutritional intervention for children so they can grow into a ‘golden generation’ while also safeguarding their health.”