From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Federal Government has distributed cooking utensils worth millions of naira to cooks under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) in Enugu State.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, who handed over the utensils to the Enugu State government, said the items and meeting with state officials were meant to strengthen the implementation of the programme.
Represented by Mr. Silas Wuyah, the minister said the NHGSFP programme, which is one of the four major social intervention programmes of the Federal Government, provides one free meal to over nine million pupils in primary schools across the nation.
“In Enugu State, we are providing funds to the state selected vendors to feed 197,140 pupils, 3005 cooks in 1030 schools. In the school feeding value chain, hundreds of jobs are created and people are earning much needed income. We have directives from Mr President to add five million more pupils into the school feeding programme.
“Your Excellency, we at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development are fully committed to the great cause of Mr. President to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.”
State Focal Person for the programme, Dr. Innocent Ogbonna, said the state government was passionate about the school feeding programme.
Ogbonna lauded the Federal Government for sustaining the programme in the state since 2017, adding that it had made positive impact of increase in school enrollment, retention to learning and health of pupils, among others.