Ogun Flags Off School Feeding Programme.

Ogun State government has launched the free meal programme for pupils in primary schools as part of the Social Intervention Programme of President Muhammdu Buhari’s administration.

At the launch yesterday, the state  government said it would be  implemented in the 1,554 primar y schools across the state with pupils in primaries 1 – 3 as beneficiaries of the first phase.

Kicking off the programme at the St. Paul’s Demonstration School,  Onikolobo area of Abeokuta, the state capital, the governor,  Senator Ibikunle Amosun explained that the programme would start simultaneously in 874 schools in the first phase.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Yetunde Onanuga explained that 2, 968 women have been enrolled and trained as food vendors for the programme of which 1, 381 vendors commenced operation immediately.

Amosun listed the benefits of the programme to include; provision of  hot nutritionally balanced meal to pupils, improved school performance and health status, boost in enrollment figure in all schools, greater school retention record and above all boosting the employment generation programme and poverty alleviation. He said every food item would be sourced locally which will in effect enhance the production and income capacities of farmers and suppliers of various products.

The Programme Manager in Ogun State who doubled as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special duties, Tinuola Shopeju, said preparations for the take-off of the programme started eight months ago in conjunction with the federal government.

She said, “For the eight months, the State Government has worked in conjunction with Federal Government to achieve the highly detailed standards prescribed for states that would benefit from this scheme.

“In order to achieve this, our governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, set up a multi-sectorial committee which spanned the Ministries of Special Duties, Education, Agriculture, Health, Community Development to work together on the programme.

“Today’s flag-off is the culmination of the arduous work put together  by this team. We are grateful to the governor for his exemplary vision  and drive, which has made Ogun State one of the first states to benefit from the school feeding programme.”