Buhari govt's school feeding programme now feeds 8.2 million pupils in 24 states - Presidency
- No fewer than 8.2 million pupils are benefiting from the federal government's school feeding programme
- This was revealed by the presidency in a statement sent to journalists on Wednesday, May 23
- According to the statement, over 80,000 cooks are being engaged in 45,394 schools for the programme
The presidency has revealed that over 8.2 million pupils are now being fed in the federal government's school feeding programme.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Wednesday, May 23, the senior special assistant on media & publicity to the president (office of the vice president), Laolu Akande, said over 80,000 cooks are being engaged in 45,394 schools for the programme.
Part of the statement read: “Following the achievement of its target of 5.5 million pupils being fed free daily under the programme in 2017, the Buhari administration’s National Home-grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) now feeds 8,260,984 pupils in 45,394 public primary schools across 24 states.
“The 24 states currently benefitting from the school feeding programme are Anambra, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Kaduna, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Jigawa, Niger, Kano, Katsina, Gombe, Ondo and Borno.
“Similarly, over 80,000 direct jobs have since been created from the School Feeding Programme; with 87,261 cooks currently engaged in the 24 participating states. All 36 states of the federation and the FCT will eventually benefit from the programme.”
READ ALSO: President Buhari writes Senate, makes 5 fresh appointments
The programme’s educational, economic and health benefits have been praised by many analysts in Nigeria and beyond. The programme has created jobs for thousands of Nigerians in rural communities and also helped boost local economies by linking the local farmers to the school feeding market.
Similarly, the school feeding programme continues to record significant milestones in the classrooms as the scheme has led to an increase in enrolment.
Another important aspect of the School Feeding Programme is that by providing a meal a day for millions of pupils, it addresses the issues of malnutrition and stunting among children, increasing the chances of the pupils making a significant headway in their learning and in life.
The NHGSFP says it plans to implement feeding in 28 states in the coming months, and all over the country soon after.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has canvassed for the reviving of the apprenticeship culture in Nigeria, saying it will solve Nigeria's youth unemployment challenge.
Professor Osinbajo made the comment at the launch on N-Power Build in Enugu state on Friday, May 18, stressing that Nigeria can deal with its unemployment challenge, “if we are able to meet the skills requirements of our industries.”
President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? | Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
