A total of 72, 000 jobs have been created under the Kaduna State Government’s School Feeding Programme introduced in January, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Shehu Adamu, has said.
Adamu told newsmen on Monday in Kaduna that the programme would not only enhance the nutritional needs of pupils, but also empower the people and enhance their livelihood.
According to him, 18, 000 food vendors were employed across the state, who in turn hired about three additional hands each, amounting to 72, 000 jobs created under the scheme.
The commissioner said the school feeding programme has increased economic activities in the state, with over N311 million injected into the economy every week as payment to the vendors.
“What people see is the food being served to the pupils, but the programme goes beyond just feeding the child.
“Yes the child will stay healthy because the meal will increase his nutrition and enhance his immunity for healthy living.
“It improves parents saving margin as it takes away their burden of providing a meal to the child, improve enrolment and retention,“ he said.
He assured that the administration had put in measures to sustain the feeding programme for the remaining years of its tenure.
The commissioner advised critics of the programme to focus on its positive values, rather than sentiment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai inaugurated the one-meal per day feeding programme in January for 1.8 million pupils in over 4,000 primary schools in the state.