June 5, 2018

Mr Segun Raheem, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State Wing, said the Home Grown School Feeding Programme would be a success when it commenced in the state.

Raheem told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the programme needed thorough planning.

According to Raheem, anything done in a hurry can never end well.

“ln Lagos, the tradition is thorough planning and that is why we excel in all our undertakings.

“Before you start to feed, you must have created enough logistics and supplies to make sure that when the programme commences, you do not need any crash programme.

“I am not talking for the state government, but it has to do with gradual process.

“It is not about whether government has the money or not, but it must start at the time when it is needed,” he said.

Raheem said it was a welcome development that the state government would start the school feeding, adding that the union would ensure that all pupils would be accommodated.

According to him, the school feeding is one of the Federal Government strategies to keep children who are on the streets in school.

“Majority of our children in Lagos are already in schools, so the pressure for school feeding is less pronounced or less expected.

“Compare to other states where you have a good number of dropouts and out of school children,” he said.

NAN reports that the Lagos state government had on May 25 said that the Federal Government’s school feeding programme was yet to take off in the state because of some logistics.

The state government said it was still assessing the Federal Government’s N70 feeding rate per pupil, which it described as unrealistic.

It added that it had begun training of environmental officers who would screen the food vendors before the commencement of the programme.

Dr Idiat Adebule, the Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, said this in Alausa at a media briefing to mark the 3rd anniversary of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration.

She said there was need for proper planning and assessment to ensure adequate meals for the pupils.

NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had during the 2014 electioneering promised free daily meals for public primary school pupils across the country.

In fulfillment of the promise, Buhari’s administration in 2016 introduced the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) which had commenced in some states.