Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has proposed a national partnership and increased funding to support the expansion of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Nigeria.
This he said is in recognition of its socio-economic impact and its potential to reduce the number of out-of-school children and retain them to complete their education.
The Katsina Governor made the appeal while hosting the National Coordinator of the renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Engineer Mrs. Anjor Obande, on a courtesy visit.
The Katsina Governor also advocated for dedicating looted funds recovered by the EFCC to fund the programme. He also proposed that development partners be informed for support.
While emphasising on the state’s financial burden, Governor Radda noted that the state government is already grappling with feeding over 30,000 students in boarding schools, alongside other projects and programmes. The situation he said is further complicated with the pending issue of minimum wage increase.
Nonetheless, he emphasised that expanding the feeding programme in Katsina State to include the roughly two million pupils from primary one to three would significantly increase the number of beneficiaries. He reaffirmed his administration’s preparedness to support the programme’s effective implementation.
Responding, the National Coordinator of the programme, Engineer Mrs. Anjor Obande, stated that the home-grown school feeding programme initiated by the immediate past administration was suspended in February due to some irregularities discovered.
However, she assured that the programme is now back on track with the aim of creating a greater impact. Mrs. Obande observed that the programme ensures school children receive nutritious food, which contributes to improved educational outcomes and encourages them to complete their education.
She disclosed that the federal government would expand the programme from the initially identified ten million schoolchildren to fifteen million. The aim she said is to include children from primary four to six.
Mrs. Obande appealed for more collaboration with the state governments in ensuring the programme’s success.
Earlier, Dr. Mudasir Nasir, National Coordinator and Executive Director of the programme, stated that Katsina has an existing policy framework and support systems that will ensure the program’s sustainable implementation in the state.
