From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The Federal Government has engaged with stakeholders for the enumeration of beneficiaries of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Ogun and Kaduna States.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq recalled that the scheme was initiated to encourage children to seek education.

The Minister was represented by the Director, Human Resource Management of the Ministry, in Ogun State, Bababtunde Jaji.

In a statement yesterday by her Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Halima Oyelade, she said: “President Muhammadu Buhari decided to innovatively take proactive and decisive measures in fighting the effects of absolute poverty and its attending consequences.

“Following due consultations and research, he launched the NSIP which is made up of four unique clusters that are integrated to provide maximum impact.

“Wth over 100,000 cooks employed, and more than 100,000 small holder farmers participating in this value chain, the NHGSFP is a serious potential for socio-economic development and it needs to be strengthened, scaled up and sustained nationwide.”

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In his response, Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, he commended the Ministry’s efforts towards assisting the less privilege in the country and also assured the visiting team of the State’s support towards enduring the success of the enumeration exercise and the school feeding programme.

In Kaduna State where the minister conducted the same exercise, she noted that government took the initiative to get accurate data of pupils, cooks and food suppliers.

Represented by the Deputy Director Human Resource Management of the Ministry, Dabo Tijjani, she explained that the National Social Investment Programmes namely the Npower, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) were all deliberately designed to specifically target sections of vulnerable Nigerians that include youths, elderly persons, widows, poorest of the poor, children, and micro businesspersons.

“Over 9 million pupils benefit from 1 free nutritious meal a day during the school term nationwide.

Acording to the Minister, “the Ministry now has the mandate to reach an additional 5 million pupils by 2023,” she said.

The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, represented by the Secretary to the State Government Balarabe Lawal commended the Ministry for the bold step to strengthen the NHGSFP, adding that the State is ready to cooperate with the Federal Government to make the programme a success.

He assured the ministry and stakeholders of his state’s readiness to render all the needed support to gather all necessary and accurate data for better implementation of the programme in the State.