…flags off scheme Thursday

By Joseph Erunke – Abuja

The federal government will on Thursday, formally flag off the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, NHGSFP, Covid-19, intended to feed school children from their homes, in the face of lockdown following coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, is expected to launch the programme at Kuje Central Primary School on the scheduled date.

The minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Salisu Danbatta, who disclosed this to Vanguard, said details of the programme would be unveiled at the launch, declining to speak on enquiry sought on some issues by the latter.

“Why not wait this Thursday to know details of the programme because the minister will be formally launching the programme at the Kuje Central Primary School on Thursday. All I can tell you now is that she would present a detailed speech containing the programme on that day.

“Try to be there to hear what she will say because I think her speech that day will address all you are looking for”, he told Vanguard, declining to speak further.

According to Vanguard earlier report, the minister had last Thursday, at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19, said the programme will go on in-home following the shutting down of schools as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Farouq said the federal government in conjunction with states would go ahead with the feeding of school children in their respective homes since schools have been shut down.

Disclosing that a total of 3.1 million homes were targeted as beneficiaries of the programme, she said: “We have made progress in the overhauling of the homegrown school feeding programme and sensitisation has already begun in the three frontline states of Ogun, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory for implementation.

“The overhauling was sequel to a March 29, 2020 directive by Mr President to identify modalities and continuation of the school feeding programme during the COVID-19 pandemic in the lockdown states as of then.”

Farouq in the Vanguard report noted that following the directive to that effect by President Muhammad Buhari, her ministry in collaboration with state governors had worked out modalities for the implementation of the home feeding programme.

“The plan has been adopted, with implementation now set to begin. The programme will, therefore, be carried out based on data provided and structures put in place by participating states with support from partners that include the World Food Programme.”

The minister had explained that the food would be distributed door-to-door, as vouchers would be allocated at specific collection times to avoid overcrowding.

She explained that the vouchers would be redeemed at designated distribution sites.

Vanguard News Nigeria.