From Magnus Eze, Enugu
More pupils in Enugu State public primary schools would benefit from the next phase of the ongoing school feeding programme of the Federal Government.
No fewer than 114,261 pupils in Primary 1 to 3 classes currently enjoy the scheme in 799 public primary schools spread across the 17 local government areas of the State.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, who stated this during the ongoing Monitoring and Enumeration of beneficiaries of the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme in Enugu State, disclosed that effort was on the way to expand it.
Represented by Ms Adanne Wadibia-Anyanwu, Team Lead of the monitoring and enumeration exercise in the State, at Igbariam Primary School 1, Achara Layout, Enugu, Tuesday, the Minister said that the government had engaged 1,532 cooks that supply the daily meals to the pupils in the state.
“We are doing enumeration and biometric data capturing of the pupils enrolled under the programme, getting feedbacks from cooks and head-teachers within the programme.
“We want to keep up-to-date record of the programme and make it more responsive as well as meet the beneficiaries to get real-time feedback from them as well.
“This is a building block towards the expansion of the programme to include more pupils and schools in the state.
“President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier announced his laudable intention of an additional five million pupils to be enrolled in the programme nationwide.
“The ministry also wants to know how the programme is being managed on daily basis, the resources available and if there are shortfalls before the expansion would be done in order to tighten loose ends,” Wadibia-Anyanwu said.
She said the programme had increased enrollment figures in public schools as many pupils have abandoned private schools.
Headmistress of the school, Mrs Salome Obi, said that the pupils were now enthusiastic about coming to school and also do better in classes.