Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has announced that the Federal Government would not import food to implement the school feeding aspect of its social investment programmes. He made this statement while receiving a delegation of the World Food Programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The delegation was led by its Executive Director, Ms. Ertharin Cousin.
He said the Home-Grown School Feeding, through which primary school pupils would receive one full meal a day would “energise the agriculture base in the state so that the farmers can benefit.”
Osinbanjo noted that the programme would also create jobs, not only for farmers, but caterers, adding that the entire value-chain would be beneficial to the local communities.
He added that the Federal Government would partner with the World Food Programme, a UN agency, in the implementation of the feeding programmes. He further emphasised the importance of such partnership because “nutrition is important for school children at that tender age”.
Ms. Ertharin Cousin lauded the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in addressing the plight of Internally Displaced Persons in the North East, adding that the UN agency is committed to strengthening the school feeding programme in Nigeria.
