The Federal Government's initiative to feed over 5.5 million primary school pupils all over the country will gulp a staggering amount of money.
The first phase of the National Home-grown School Feeding, HGSF, Programme, to feed 5.5 million primary school pupils to be served one free hot meal a day would gulp a staggering N93.1 billion.
This was revealed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande on Tuesday afternoon in Abuja.
He said states will not be compelled to participate in the initiative. He however stressed that the support of the states is vital whether they are able to fund in addition to what the FG will do or not. He said: “we want the states to embrace this programme, it is good for the people, it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Akande further revealed that the federal government has made necessary arrangement for the initiative to be sustained. He added: “the school feeding programme is not a counter-part funding arrangement model, no. What we have is a plan where the FGN provides 100 % feeding costs for pupils in primary one to three in all public primary schools in the country.
“let me be clear about this, the Buhari presidency has made adequate arrangements for the HGSF to happen and by the grace of God, we are going forward to do exactly that.”
If a state is not able to fund the school feeding in Primary 4-6, Akande made it clear that the FG will not abandon such a state but instead go ahead and feed pupils from Primary 1-3.
Specifically he discloses that “5.5 million school children would be fed free of charge for 200 school days in first phase of homegrown school feeding programme starting this year.”
The Senior Special Assistant explained further that HGSF programme creates jobs along the value chain and improves family and state economies. He said: “because it is a localized menu that is provided for the pupils by the small-holder farmers from within the community who in turn also benefit.”
For example he continued, “a food vendor who to prepares meals for say 100 pupils per day, has to interact with small-holder farmers who grow yam, egg, condiments vegetables fruits. She has to interface with transporters as well as sellers of fuel etc thereby exchanging income along the value chain."
Regarding how the funds would be disbursed, Akande said the money will come from the federal government coffers and go straight to caterers and other beneficiaries at a rate of N70 per meal.
The school feeding program though a part of the APC manifesto, is also African Union inspired scheme to grow the continent while ensuring pupils go to schools. The programmes is also embedded within the national school health policy and the Universal basic act of the FGN 2004.