FG urged to improve on school feeding

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The Federal Government has been advised to upwardly review the National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) in line with the economic situation of the country.

The focal person of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP) in Osun State, Hon. Kehinde Ibitoye, who made the call in Osogbo during a chat with our correspondent, said the current N100 per child feeding is not realistic with the current situation.

Noting that the programme had benefited public school pupils in no small way, Ibitoye said upward review is necessary and germane.

He disclosed that plans are afoot to capture all the pupils in public primary schools from class 1-3 as they progress, saying that the feeding covered 95,983 pupils in 1,312 schools.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, had been efficient in the implementation of the programme while Governor Ademola Adeleke has also supported and strongly partnered with the programme to ensure effective implementation.

He disclosed that 14,600 beneficiaries were enrolled on NPower Batch C in the state, noting that the data for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program in the state for the poor and vulnerable women, has increased to 15,522.

On the Government Enterprise and Empowerment program (GEEP), he said the first batch was implemented in Osun between 2017 and 2018 where over 25,000 small traders and artisans benefited from Tradermoni and Marketmoni.

”The GEEP program has been reviewed, restructured and rebooted. Presently, there is ongoing registration of intending beneficiaries targeting small traders, artisans, poor women and rural farmers across the 30 local governments areas of the state.

”The program is in three schemes(tradermoni, marketmoni and farmermoni) with a zero interest loan between N50,000 N300,000,” he added.