FG Releases N844bn For A Meal Per Day Program

The Federal Government has released N844 billion for its school feeding programme in seven states.

The funds will help to provide one meal a day for one million primary school pupils in the specified states.

This was disclosed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande on Monday, February 13.

“In the States of Anambra, Enugu, Osun, Ogun, and Oyo, the feeding has actually started, while it is expected to start this week in the two other states of Ebonyi and Zamfara, that have been funded already,” Akande said.

“That means, the Buhari Presidency’s Homegrown School Feeding Programme would be feeding this week a total of 1, 043, 205 pupils in those seven states.

“Equally a total number of 11,775 cooks have now been employed to prepare the meals in those states already, while local farmers in the states are also the one producing the food prepared and served.

“Of all the States, Anambra, which was the first state to receive FG funding late last year has now received three full funding tranches covering 30 school days, totaling N188, 769,000. The State has a total of 937 cooks and feeding 96,489 pupils.

“In Ebonyi, FG have also released a total of N115, 218, 600, while 1466 cooks have been engaged and 164, 598 pupils are to be fed.

“In Ogun State, FG have released N119, 648, 900 to feed 170, 927 pupils and engaged 1381 cooks, while in Osun a total of N92, 425, 400 have been released to feed 142, 193 pupils with 2688 cooks engaged.

“For Oyo State, a total of N72, 288, 300 have been released by the FG to feed 103, 269 pupils, engaging 1437 cooks, while in Zamfara FG have released a total sum of N188, 765, 500 to feed 269, 665 pupils and engaged 2, 738 cooks,” he added.

Akande also said that N67,244, 800 had been released and 1128 cooks engaged to feed 96, 064 pupils in Enugu State.

Muhammadu Buhari had, in 2016, approved N93 billion to fund the first phase of the Homegrown School Feeding (HGSF) Programme.