Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Investment, Sadiya Farouq says no fewer than 228,046 children have benefitted from home grown school feeding in Gombe within the last five years.
Farouq also revealed that the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme is one of the Federal Government initiatives aimed at improving literacy among the populace.
She made this disclosure during the official hand over of 5,000 feeding utensils for the Home Grown School Feeding Programme by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social investment held at Hassan Central Primary School Gombe.
Farouq, who doubles as the National Co-ordinator Social investment Programme, explained that the School Feeding Programme is mainly designed to address poverty through collaboration between the State and the Federal Government.
The Minister said, “The Federal Government has since the inception of the program enrolled over 1,234 schools, with 228,046 children being fed using the service of 3,073 cooks.”
She added, “Total investment of the Federal Government on all these sectors amount to N320,104,400 monthly. The sum of 4.5 billion Naira has been expended in the state.”
On his part, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya pledged his administration’s commitment to supporting all projects initiated by the Federal Government aimed at Fighting Poverty and Unemployment among Nigerians.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, Governor Yahaya said, “The APC led Federal Government has taken practicable measures to ensure social protection and poverty alleviation strategies which seek to raise school enrollment, school nutrition and boost local economic activities across the communities in the country.”
He assured that the state government will do everything humanly possible to ensure that the challenges facing the successful implementation of the programme in the state are identified and addressed.
In her remarks, the State Focal Person of the Programme and Special Advisers on Social investment, Hajiya Dijatu Bappa appreciated the Federal Government for the programme which she said has greatly improved school enrollment in the the state in addition to enhancing the economic wellbeing of the Pupils and the Food Vendors.
Meanwhile, Governor Yahaya has urged participants at a four day skills and entreprenuership development training for mobile Money Agents North East holding at the Gombe State University, to remain focus while the training lasts.
Represented by the SSG, Prof. Njodi said the programme which is aimed at improving the financial inclusion was an initiative of the Federal Government to create employment for the teeming Youths in the country.
He said, “It was the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to bequeath a Nigeria where its working population will be gainfully employed thereby reducing poverty in the state.”
The representative of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social investment and Co-ordinator of the Programme Dr, Umar Bindir said the programme is expected to train, register and support participants with starter packs worth N20,000 to operate mobile services in their respective communities.