The Minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, says that the administration will commence National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) targeting 300 -1000 children in Kwali, Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa-Bello
Bello stated this at a Two-Day Stakeholders Workshop with the theme: “Developing Sustainable School Feeding Programmes” on Tuesday in Abuja.
The workshop was aimed at brainstorming on the operational modules for the programme in the FCT, to pave way for efficient implementation of the programme.
According to him, the administration is first starting the programme in rural communities across three area councils.
“We feel it is needed the most in these rural areas, because large number of the poorest of the poor resides there.”
The minister, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary for Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Oladimeji Ali-Hassan, said that FCT administration was highly committed to implementation of the programme.
“We are starting immediately with Area Councils in Kwali, Bwari and Gwagwalada, because we are already behind schedule.
“So, we are starting very soon, in fact in the next few weeks.
“At least, we can start with 300 to 1000 children, which will be a good start.
“We have done our survey, and that’s why we plan to take the programme to where it is highly needed.
“It is children in the rural communities that need the programme the most,’’ he said.
Earlier, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment programmes, Maryam Uwais, said the programme focused on feeding children of primary one to three, in selected schools.
Explaining the delay in the process of implementing the programme in the FCT, the Presidential aide said it was because of unavailability of recommended database for the programme in the territory.
She noted that even though the FCTA is joining halfway through, what was critical was to implement the programme, as there were still about twelve states to go.
According to her, the Federal Government pays the cooks selected by the respective states, depending on the number of children.
She, therefore, appealed to the stakeholders drawn from the education, health, agriculture and private sector, to ensure quality and prompt delivery of the feeding programme in the FCT.
NAN