Deputy Governor of the state, Yetunde Onanuga who revealed this at the formal launching of the programme in Abeokuta, applauded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for partnering state governments to implement the HGSFP designed to ensure that pupils in classes one to three in the Nation’s primary schools enjoy one free nutritious meal per day.
According to her, “qualitative education and the well-being of the pupils are two sides of the same coin that any responsive government must take seriously. We will always say that education of the youths guarantees the future of any society; but we must also remember that only healthy body can make whatever knowledge received meaningful and of positive impact in the future. In fact, you cannot teach a hungry child”.
She expressed that the HGSFP initiative would also ensure increased access, enrollment, attendance, retention and completion in schools.
Onanuga further explained that this programme would enhance the state’s employment generation and poverty alleviation policy.
“There is no doubt, this is an intervention designed to eradicate poverty in our households as the women will make additional income from taking on catering businesses in their communities. This can be done on weekends and when schools are not in session”, she said.
Also speaking at the event, the Programme Manager, Ogun Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Tinuola Shopeju, informed that the programme would take off on January 31, 2017 in 874 of the 1,554 public primary schools in the state.
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