In a move aimed at improving school attendance and reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, the Federal Government has announced plans to relaunch the suspended Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
The announcement was made by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education.
Edun emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening the education sector, stating that “through a lineup of initiatives, every child would be provided with access to quality education.”
He also highlighted the positive impact the programme would have on the national budget by providing sufficient resources to support and sustain educational programmes.
The minister explained that feeding children at school would not only improve their health and well-being but also incentivize them to remain in school, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children.
The government is dedicated to tackling critical issues through innovative initiatives like the “Secretariat for Financing Safe Schools” and the “Home-Grown School Feeding Program.”
The announcement comes after President Bola Tinubu suspended the programme in January due to alleged irregularities within the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The House of Representatives had earlier called for the resumption of the suspended social investment initiatives and later decided to probe the suspended school feeding programme.