The Federal Government on Tuesday said that more pupils had been enrolled in public primary schools across the country, following the introduction of its home grown school feeding programme.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this during her assessment of the programme at St. Paul Demonstration School, Olumo, Abeokuta.
The minister said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is working assiduously toward spreading the programme to all government-owned primary schools in the country.
“I am very impressed with what I am seeing; the school environment is very conducive.
“The food they serve the kids is very tasty and I am told that the school enrollment has increased because of the feeding programme.
“The quality of the food I saw is balanced and nutritious which means the children will have better learning and results.
“The Federal Government’s mission is to make sure that every school is covered and that both the state and the Federal Government are working closely on this programme,” she said.
The minister also stated that the Federal Government was working toward ensuring that all primary schools in the state were covered in the Federal Government home grown feeding programme.
“For us to have all schools covered, it actually depends on the readiness of the state.
“There are number of things that we need to do: we need to make sure that the right people are trained, have bank account numbers and bank verification numbers (BVNs).
“They must be wealthy and be ready to deliver high quality nutritious food to the children.
“We are out to assess the programme and look more into the details of what is happening. We are bent on ensuring that working together with the state that the kids are well fed,” he said.
Gov Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun commended the FG’s initiative, saying that there was the need for improvement in the programme.
“On this home grown feeding programme, kudos to the FG for the initiative. It takes a good leader to come up with such an initiative and at the same time drive it,” he said.(NAN)
LKA/AAB/PAD