The Federal Government has inaugurated a multi-sectoral committee for the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) to enhance effective implementation and achieve the objectives of the Programme.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, at the inauguration on Wednesday in Abuja urged the committee members to contribute vigorously to the success of the programme.
According to her, the committee comprises representative from the Ministries of Finance and Budget Planning, Health, Education, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Information and Culture.
“Others are Ministries of Women Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment, Water Resources, the National Bureau of Statistics and Universal Basic Education Commission.
“All the different ministries are interrelated in the course of implementing the programme. Try to ensure you do the right thing,’’ Farouq urged them.
According to her, all the sectors have the potentials to facilitate effective implementation and success of the programme.
She said that the programme would boost agriculture in the locality as the meals for the pupils were made from local farmers’ produce.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Farouq was represented at the event by the National Coordinator of National Social Investment Programme, Dr Umar Bindr.
Bindr is also the Chairman of the multi-sectoral committee.
Speaking earlier, the Technical Assistant to the Minister on NHGSFP, Miss Aisha Digil, explained that the programme specifically target pupils from Primaries one to three in public schools.
Digil maintained that the success of the programme would depend on collaborative efforts of the federal and state governments with each playing its role.
“The programme aimed to increase school enrolment, nutritious meals for children and improved academic performance among the pupils.
“It is necessary to have a multi-sectoral committee to work with other stakeholders to achieve the goals of the programme,” she said.
Garba Abubakar, a member, who responded on behalf of other members, appreciated the opportunity to serve the country and promised to put in their best to take the programme to the next level.
NAN reports that that NHGSFP is one of the four components of the National Social Investment Programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.
Other components include N-Power, Government Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme and the Conditional Cash Transfer.
However, the ministry has been going round the country to implement Special Grants for Rural Women Initiative which was inaugurated by distributing N20, 000 each to hundreds of thousands of rural women. (NAN)