Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, the Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, has provided reassurance that the suspended school feeding programme, which was halted by the Federal Government, will soon resume.
President Bola Tinubu had announced a six-week suspension of all programs under the National Social Investment Programme Agency, including the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, the N-Power Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. The suspension was initiated to allow for an investigation into alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its programs.
However, according to Punch News, nine weeks have passed since the suspension, and the programs, including the school feeding initiative, have yet to resume. Speaking at the launch of the Create That Change Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization, Dr. Olatunji-David expressed confidence that the school feeding program would return in a stronger and improved form. She emphasized that planning is still underway to ensure the effective implementation of the program.
Dr. Olatunji-David explained, “We all know that we have the homegrown program that is being put on hold for now. It is coming back stronger and better. Before now, it only covered a segment of primary schools. The president has said it will be for basic education in its entirety. We are planning. We don’t just want to come out without planning to ensure that, as soon as we receive the directives, proper implementation is done. If it is the whole of primary school or basic education, it will be done properly. We await further directives on this.”
She commended the Create That Change Development Initiative for its efforts, noting that the organization’s planned programs would contribute to the well-being and development of children, adolescents, and society as a whole.
The founder of the NGO, Mrs. Sharon Ayeni, explained that she relocated to Nigeria with the goal of establishing an organization to address pressing challenges and uplift those in need. The NGO aims to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and youth by eradicating poverty and offering support. Their flagship program, the Enhancing Nutrition, Exercise, and Reading Initiative (ENERI), is set to be implemented in every state in Nigeria. The organization also has other initiatives in the pipeline, including the Build Her Initiative, the Toilet Angels Initiative, and the Teacher-to-Teacher Mentoring Initiative.
