By Jude Opara, Abuja
The federal government has concluded arrangements to kick-start its home grown school feeding programme with Kaduna and Osun states as a pilot to determine its effectiveness on the performance of the students.
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on School Feeding Programme, Dr. Yetunde Adeniji who spoke at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Thursday stated that the objective of the study is also to determine how the school feeding programme could improve student’s attendance and academic performance. She added that it is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for Nigerians.
Adeniji further noted that the comparative analysis of the benefits of investing in school feeding and other education interventions in the country suggest that they could add to the value of the nation’s educational system.
She revealed that the study will first be launched in Kaduna and Osun states and subsequently extend to the six geopolitical states across the country as well as the entire 36 states by the end of 2024.
The Home Grown School Feeding Programme also got a boost with partnership for Child Development (PCD), and Imperial College, London to get value for money, as well as end hunger and malnutrition in Nigerian schools.
While emphasizing that the stakeholders meeting marks the take-off of the programme in the two pilot states, Adeniji reiterated that teachers, principals, traditional rulers and community members would be carried along in the implementation process that would be fully monitored by state governments.
Participants include global partners, federal ministry of education, UBEC amongst other stakeholders.
The SSA added that the partnership is equally with the Imperial College London United Kingdom, Harvard University United States of America and the Partnership for Childs Development and the Schools Meals coalition.
