Oyo Spends N.75bn On Home Grown School Feeding Programme
Oyo State government at the weekend revealed that it has spent N.75 billion as its counterpart fund for the federal government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme since its inception.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela stated this during a meeting with vendors and aggregators on quality assurance of the programme in Ibadan.
He disclosed that the project was yielding dividends as the federal government had started crediting accounts of food vendors in the state and others across the federation and made the payment monthly against the bi-weekly payment of the past.
The commissioner maintained that this had afforded the food vendors the opportunity to plan and prepare ahead with aggregators who supply food and condiments to enhance their services and success of the project.
“The homegrown school feeding project was embarked upon by the federal government in the 16 states of the federation to increase enrollment of pupils in public primary schools, create empowerment for people at various levels of food distribution chain and increase agricultural value chain.
“The programme at initial stage suffered hitches due to improper filling of BVN by the food vendors and irregular funding of which both have been rectified, while the funding is now on regular basis by the federal government”, the commissioner said.
Olowofela declared that the ministry has embarked on the monitoring exercise of public primary schools in all the 33 local governments in the state to ensure and enforce the continued compliance of quality and quantity of food given to the pupils by the food vendors.
He warned that any erring vendor found wanting will be disengaged, even as he commended the governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for facilitating the position of the state to be among the first seven states where the programme started and for his unwavering support for the programme.
Corroborating him, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community Development and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Atinuke Oshunkoya said that the importance of the meeting was to forestall future negative circumstances and chart way forward to the success of the programme.
She noted that Oyo State was among the first seven states where the program was started saying it is because federal government believes that the state as pacesetter will make a success of the programme.
“We thank the federal government for this program because it has empowered many women and has nourished our children and encouraged more enrollment of children in public primary schools in the state.