WFP’s support for Nigeria’s school feeding programme excites BMO
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The acknowledgement of Nigeria’s National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) by the World Food Programme (WFP) as the best in Africa, and its decision to support the programme with ICT equipment is a testament to the success of the programme.
The World Food Programme had said it would partner with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD) to provide ICT equipment, including tablets, towards promoting nutrition education and better eating habits in the next stage of the feeding programme.
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, commended the World Food Programme for its fair assessment of the school feeding programme and its decision to support the programme.
According to BMO, the World Food Programme position on the School Feeding Programme has further shed more light on the importance and benefits of the programme and provided an ample opportunity for all armchair critics to acknowledge and appreciate its benefits over the past years.
The group recalled that since the Home Grown School Feeding Programme commenced, millions of children have been enrolled in schools across the country.
BMO also noted that the implementation of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) has reduced the number of out-of-school children by three million from 13.2 million in 2015 to 10.1 million in 2021.
“It is gratifying to note that 9.8 million students in 53,000 public primary schools nationwide are benefitting from the programme annually, just as the Programme has created employment for 107,000 people who serve as cooks.
“We are delighted that the World Food Programme is supporting the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in providing technical assistance to ensure the sustainability of the programme”, the statement added.
