BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE
THE Lagos State Government has said the school feeding programme for primary school pupils in the state, tagged, “Snacks for Thought School Feeding,” will gulp N11 billion.
The implementation of the programme is scheduled to commence in September 2021.
The programme is to complement the Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Government that covers only pupils in Primary 1-3.
The Snacks for Thought School Feeding is expected to take care of the pupils at the crèche and those in Primary 4 to 6, in order to ensure that all pupils partake in the school feeding programme in Lagos State.
Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Aderemi Adebowale, disclosed this on Monday, during the 2021 Ministerial press briefing to mark the second year anniversary of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.
She said, “The Snacks for Thought School Feeding is a programme by the state government to complement the Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Government that covers only pupils in primary 1-3, while the Snacks for Thought feeding is expected to take care of the pupils at the crèche and primary 4 to 6 level so as to ensure that all pupils partake in the school feeding programme in Lagos State when the programme is eventually adopted by the State Government.
“This school feeding programme also has the tendency to serve as the socio-economic blueprint of government and in the long run prevent this generation from bequeathing a sustainable development legacy to the next generation as it does this by keeping students in school.
“When children stay in school and learn, they not only take charge of their own learning experience but also stand a greater chance of making something out of their lives while also becoming productive citizens capable of contributing to the development of the State as their formative years has been positively ensured.”
She added that there were additional dimensions to the project such as food and nutritional security, safety and human development.
Adebowale noted, “The state government is partnering with the private sector. We already have volunteers that will work with us. Over 400 volunteers are to partake. That is why we are appealing for more Public-Private Partnerships with the government for effective implementation of the programme.
“The outbreak and effects of the COVID-19 in the state stalled the continuation of the feeding programme.”
“The pilot scheme, held in Lagos-Island Area, covered 33 public primary schools with a total of 11,965 pupils participating in the one-week pilot school feeding exercise. The exercise is billed to recommence in September this year,” she explained.
