The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to scale up the implementation of the National Home – Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to reach even more beneficiaries nationwide.
The Minister, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar-Farouq expressed the commitment at the commemoration of the 7th Africa Day for School Feeding on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme for this year’s edition of the Africa Day of School Feeding is titled, “Nutrition and human capital development in Africa through increased investment in home-grown school feeding”.
According to Umar-Farouq, the theme is especially valid in Nigeria, since the Federal Government continues to commit resources to drive the implementation and expansion of the NHSGFP to achieve its desired objectives.
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“The National Home-Grown School Programme is a special intervention programme under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD).
“The Programme is designed to provide one free hot meal to pupils of Classes one to three in public primary schools in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
She noted that the Programme was introduced in 2016 and was implemented under a Federal – State partnership, with the federal government providing the funding, technical support, coordination and oversight.
She added that the states carried out the implementation, as part of government’s effort and commitment at ensuring institutionalisation and sustainability of all humanitarian and social interventions across the country.
The minister said that globally, School feeding programmes were recognised as an essential part of social safety nets deployed to address both malnutrition and poverty among low-income households.
Umar-Farouq said that currently the total number of children enrolled on the programme stood at 9,881,773 million in over 53,000 schools.
She added that out of number, 4.1 million pupils had so far been verified and captured on the NHGSFP Database.
She said this was in line with the ministry’s ongoing efforts at establishing a verifiable database of beneficiaries across all of its programmes and interventions.
She also said that the Ministry had forged viable working partnerships with relevant food and nutrition associations and agencies, such as the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
She said this was to provide the required regulatory oversight and also monitor compliance on hygiene, food safety, and meal quality standards.
“The ministry is also working closely with the World Food Programme (WFP), which is providing technical support, capacity building and policy guidance in the implementation of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
Umar-Farouq further said that NHGSFP undoubtedly had a major impact on school children through a significant increase in school enrolment and attendance.
“Along with a corresponding improvement in the nutrition and health status of beneficiary pupils credited to the nutritious meal that is now made freely available to them at their respective schools.
“Other verifiable outcomes of the programme include, boosting of the local economies and facilitating job creation through the activities of cooks, smallholder farmers, transporters and numerous aggregators engaged nationwide.
“Consequent upon the successes recorded by the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme across the country, the Ministry has received the approval of Mr President to extend the programme to an additional 1 Million pupils across the federation.
“In addition, the Ministry, in collaborative partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders is currently spearheading the planned rollout of the Alternate School Programme (ASP).”
The minister said that through ASP education would expectedly be taken directly to the teeming Out – of – School – Children at their respective stations along with the provision of two free meals from the NHGSFP scheme.
“Also we are currently working on a policy framework for the Programme and will also be rolling out quality assurance structures, along with the introduction of the concept of School Kitchens to the Programme in 60 model schools across the Nation.
“These School Kitchens are designed to serve as models, as well as training and skills building centres for cooks and other vendors of the programme.
“All of these initiatives fall squarely in line with the abiding desire and commitment of the federal government of Nigeria to scale up the implementation of NHGSFP to reach even more beneficiaries nationwide.
“This is against the backdrop of the government’s commitment to achieving the goals of the National Food Systems Transformation Pathway, which include reduction of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition and reduction of poverty among others.”
Umar-Farouq also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for his recent approval for the upward review of the daily cost of feeding from N70 to N100 per meal per child.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD, Princess Gloria Akobundu appreciated the ministry for its efforts and achievements so far.
Akobundu also said that there was need for a stronger collaboration and team work among stakeholders for better results, while pledging its continued support to enhance the ministry’s activities and Programmes.(NAN)
