Federal Government has so far registered nine million pupils on its National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
The minister of Humanitarian Affairs , Disaster Management and Social Development ,Hajiya Sadiya Farouk stated this while speaking at the handing over of feeding utensils to the Kwara state government under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Ilorin.
Represented by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Hajia Safiyat Sanni, the minister said federal government was planning to bring on board another set of five million pupils.
She explained that the programme was designed to address poverty in all its forms and it was a collaboration between FG and state where the FG is responsible for the release of funds, guidelines policies, and monitoring.
Hajiya Sadiya Farouk said the state would carry out the day-to-day implementation including procurement of food items, selection of cooks and vendors who prepare, and
serve the meals to the pupils.
She explained that the benefits of the programme and its impact on the lives and livelihood of individuals, groups and communities was clear, evident and undeniable.
The minister noted that the programme also addressed cross cutting issues of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
In his remark the governor of Kwara state AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq commended the programme,adding that it had tendency to increase attendance in schools, provide good nutrition and improve local economy.
ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU