President Muhammadu Buhari has spent more than ₦2 billion on free feeding for pupils in Adamawa, under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP).

Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, gave the statistic during the hand over of additional 50,000 branded quality feeding utensils to Adamawa government on Saturday, in Yola.

Farouq, represented by Umar Bindir, National Coordinator, Social Investment Programme, said NHGSFP was one of the four clusters under the  Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

She explained that Mr Buhari’s regime was expending ₦226 million monthly on the school feeding programme in Adamawa.

Ms Farouq said so far, more than nine million pupils had registered and were benefiting from the programme nationwide.

“Over ₦2 billion expended by the Federal Government in Adamawa, under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP). I m here today, to represent Mr President, to hand over an additional 50,000 branded quality feeding utensils to the Adamawa State Government, for use in feeding pupils under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP),” the minister added. “So far, the NHGSFP has recorded over nine million pupils that are being fed by over 100,000 cooks/vendors nationwide.”

According to Ms Farouq, the feeding programme, launched in 2016, is grounded in Adamawa and that so far, 1,286 schools have been enrolled, with 162,782 children being fed, using 2,417 cooks/vendors.

The minister explained that 182,000 utensils were previously distributed in Adamawa, and that Saturday’s programme was a continuation of one of the several strategic plans on the programme, aimed at ensuring pupils’ hygiene and safety in consuming the free meals.

In his address, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by Elijah Tumba, Commissioner for Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Re-settlement, thanked the federal government for the laudable initiative.

Mr Fintiri further stated that according to available records, the feeding programme had increased the number of pupils enrolment into schools across the state.

The governor said his administration was always ready to partner with the government in moving the educational sector forward. 

(NAN)