Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency Chief Resigns for Medical Treatment After Six-Week Reform Drive
Nanik Sudaryati Deyang has stepped down as head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency to seek heart treatment abroad, following a brief but intensive tenure marked by major reforms to President Prabowo Subianto's flagship Free Nutritious Meals program.
Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency Chief Resigns for Medical Treatment After Six-Week Reform Drive
Nanik Sudaryati Deyang has resigned as head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to undergo medical treatment abroad for a heart condition, ending a brief but intensive six-week tenure leading President Prabowo Subianto's flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
Presidential special assistant Dirgayuza Setiawan confirmed Wednesday that Deyang had formally bid farewell to President Prabowo. "Today, Madam Nanik Deyang bade farewell to President Prabowo to undergo heart treatment while stepping down from her leadership role at the National Nutrition Agency," Setiawan said in a statement.
Deyang assumed leadership of the BGN in June following a corruption crackdown that resulted in the arrest of former chief Dadan Hindayana and several senior officials. Hindayana was detained on June 3, 2026, one day after his dismissal, along with two deputy agency heads, and named as a corruption suspect by Indonesia's Attorney General's Office over allegations of fund misappropriation within the MBG program.
Sweeping Reforms Under Pressure
Despite her short time in office, Deyang implemented significant reforms to the national nutrition initiative, which launched nationwide on January 6, 2025, as a cornerstone campaign promise from Prabowo's 2024 presidential election. The program was designed to address Indonesia's child stunting rate, which stood at approximately 21.5 percent in 2022, by providing free meals to vulnerable populations.
During her tenure, Deyang led a comprehensive overhaul of the MBG infrastructure, evaluating nearly 28,000 community kitchens across the country. She established quality tiers for 3,000 facilities and halted expansion in regions where kitchen density had become excessive. The agency took action against 414 problematic kitchens and formed 11 internal reform teams focused on improving program efficiency.
According to Dirgayuza, these reform initiatives saved hundreds of billions of rupiah while refocusing the program toward its intended beneficiaries—students, toddlers, pregnant women, and lactating women. The program aims to reach 82.9 million people by 2029.
Program Scale and Budget Pressures
The MBG program operates at massive scale, having reached 61.96 million recipients by April 30, 2026, at a cost of Rp75 trillion (US$4.1 billion). The initiative has created 1.28 million jobs nationwide across more than 29,000 kitchens.
However, the program has faced budget constraints. The 2026 allocation was cut from an initially proposed Rp335 trillion (US$18.4 billion) to Rp268 trillion (US$14.7 billion) in May 2026, with officials indicating potential further reductions to around Rp229 trillion. The National Nutrition Agency, formally established on August 15, 2024, by then-President Joko Widodo to facilitate the program before Prabowo took office, had received the largest budget allocation among all Indonesian ministries and agencies.
Future Role Uncertain
In a social media post, Deyang expressed gratitude to the president for accepting her resignation and suggested she may continue in an advisory capacity. "I have extended my deepest apology to the president for having to step down... Out of concern and empathy, he accepted my resignation but asked me to continue overseeing the agency," she wrote.
Deyang indicated that Prabowo may establish a BGN supervisory board with her serving as chair, though no official announcement has been made regarding this arrangement or the appointment of her successor.