Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday flagged off the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, tagged Ekiti-Kete School Meal in Ekiti State.
With the flag off in Ekiti, the number of states now participating in the programme has increased to 31.
With the flag off in Ekiti, the
number of states now participating in the programme has increased to 31.
Mr Osinbajo said 75,020 pupils in
all the public primary schools across Ekiti State would be fed once daily.
He said the programme would increase
school attendance and enrolment as well as checkmate malnutrition among the
school age children.
He said the school feeding programme
is one of the components of the social investment programme of the federal
government which is currently catering for 9.3 million pupils and has empowered
farmers whose produce are purchased for the programme.
He said, “it was important the
government programmes empower the people and alleviate poverty among the
masses.”
The vice president commended the
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, for keying into the programme. He said he
was not surprised the governor gave support for the success of the social
investment programme as he was one of its initiators.
He said Mr Fayemi pioneered some of
the social security programmes, especially the introduction of the Youth
Volunteers programme which is now called NPower at the national level and the
social security for the elderly.
He stated that the federal
government had expended N5.6 billion on its social investment programmes in
Ekiti State; adding that “the government would soon increase the number of
Npower volunteers to accommodate more unemployed youth across the country.”
Giving further details, Mr Fayemi
disclosed that about 2,000 people had been employed to meet the feeding
requirements of over 905 public primary schools in the State.
He said that the programme would
create jobs along the value chain of the economy and boost the income of
peasant farmers by creating a viable and ready market.
He assured that the state government
would play its part “with utmost dedication, commitment and honesty to make the
school feeding programme in Ekiti State the cynosure of all eyes.”
“Your Excellency, we in Ekiti State,
commend your relentless personal commitment and leadership on social investment
in the country. I can confirm that it has made a major difference in
distinguishing between a compassionate government and an uncaring one and the
result was evident in the last election,” said Mr Fayemi.
“It is clear that the people support
our ideology that sees government as a catalyst for development, not a
bystander that leaves everyone to his or her fate and we have you and Mr
President to thank for your exemplary leadership in this regard.”
In her remarks, one of the caterers
employed for the school feeding in Moba Local Government, Modupe Ajisefini,
thanked the government for the initiative. She said the programme had improved
school attendance since it started a few weeks ago.
She said the programme would provide
“nutritional value and improve pupils’ intelligence quotient.”
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