FG School Feeding: We’ll Create Avenue For Better Program Planning, Implementation, Says Minister
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, said that the ministry will create avenues for better planning and implementation having the biometric data of all the beneficiaries of the program
Umar Farouq made the disclosure at the inauguration of the stakeholders’ engagement and scaling up of the programme meeting in the state capital, Bauchi.
The Minister, the Federal Government has begun the training of 200 enumerators to fast track pupil enrollment in the National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) in Bauchi State.
Umar-Farouq, represented by Alhaji Ali Grema, Director, Humanitarian Affairs in the ministry, disclosed that the ministry had also engaged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as enumerators to facilitate the smooth conduct of the homegrown feeding programme in the country.
She added that the engagement of stakeholders and Corps members as enumerators was the most innovative way to manage the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) especially the NHGSFP.
“It will create room for enlisting more beneficiaries for transparency and accountability in line with set regulations,
“It will further ensure judicious and accurate use of resources allocated to the ministry.
“Our partners whom we have engaged are required to identify and capture the biometrics of each child on the programme,” she said.
She further said, nationwide the exercise will continue beyond the first intervention to enhance participation of all in the programme.
On her part, Hajiya Amina Katagum, Bauchi State Focal Person of the N-SIP, commended the Federal Government for the implementation of viable interventions in the state.
Hajia Katagum said the NHGSFP has improved school enrollment, createed employment opportunities and boosts the economic base of the state.
“About 444,000 pupils are benefiting from the NHGSFP while women that were engaged in the programme became self-reliant,” she said.
According to her, about 800 schools are not benefiting from the programme, and urged the government to expand its scope to enhance participation.
She admonished the Corps members to be diligent and dedicated in the enrollment exercise.
The stakeholders’ engagement meeting was attended by representatives of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Ministry of Education, National Orientation Agency (NOA) and National Population Commission (NPC), NYSC and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) among others.
