The Federal Government has released N844 million to seven states to serve one hot meal a day to more than one million primary school pupils under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande disclosed this in an update on the Social Investment Programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He said the sum was released for the program in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara States as at the end of last week. He added that while funds have been released to the seven States to kick off the programme, not all of them have actually started the implementation as at the time he gave the update.
“In the states of Anambra, Enugu, Osun, Ogun, and Oyo, the feeding has actually started, while it is expected to start this week in Ebonyi and Zamfara, that have been funded already,” Akande said.
According to the Presidential media aide, this week, a total of 1,043,205 pupils in seven states would be fed under the Homegrown School Feeding Programme.
He also disclosed that 11,775 cooks have been engaged to prepare the meals in those states, while local farmers in the states would produce the food for the school feeding programme.
“Of all the states, Anambra, which was the first state to receive fund late last year, has received three full funding tranches covering 30 school days, totaling N188.7 million. The state has a total of 937 cooks and 96,489 pupils.
“In Ebonyi, the federal government has also released N115. 2 million, while 1,466 cooks have been engaged to cater for 164, 598 pupils. Also in Enugu State, the federal government has released N67.2 million to feed 96, 064 pupils and 1,128 cooks engaged,” Akande said.
He also said Ogun State got N119.6 million to feed 170, 927 pupils and engaged 1,381 cooks, while in Osun, N92.4 million was released to feed 142,193 pupils with 2,688 cooks engaged. He added that Oyo State got N72.2 million to feed 103,269 pupils and 1,437 cooks engaged, while in Zamfara N188.7 million was released to feed 269,665 pupils and 2,738 cooks engaged.
Source Sun
