Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has disclosed plans by the federal government to relaunch the suspended school feeding programme....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
Edun, who assured that the government would provide sufficient resources to support and sustain educational programmes nationwide, spoke on Thursday during the the House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education’s visit to his office.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Mohammed Manga, on Friday, the meeting was aimed to address the urgent issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria, offering a platform for the minister to outline the government’s financial strategies and programs designed to tackle this challenge.
The statement quoted the Minister reaffirming the federal government’s dedication to enhancing education and emphasising that through a series of initiatives, every child would be granted access to quality education.
Edun said, “Feeding children at school would not only improve their health and well-being but also incentivise them to remain in school, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children.”
The minister stated that the government is committed to addressing vital issues through innovative initiatives such as the “Secretariat for Financing Safe Schools” and the “Home-Grown School Feeding Program.”
“As the government continues to prioritise education, Nigeria’s future generations can look forward to enhanced access to quality learning, paving the way for a brighter and more prosperous tomorrow,” he added.
On January 12, President Bola Tinubu suspended all programs administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), including the school feeding initiative, as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in the agency’s management and activities. Earlier, on January 2, Tinubu had suspended Halima Shehu as the CEO of NSIPA due to alleged financial misconduct. Additionally, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was suspended on January 8; her ministry oversees NSIPA operations.
The suspended programs include N-Power, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program, and the Home-Grown School Feeding Initiative.
On March 13, the House of Representatives urged the federal government to resume the implementation of the suspended social investment initiatives.
However, the chamber later decided to investigate the suspended school feeding program, arguing that completely canceling the initiative “may cause more harm.”
