Niger to Re-Introduce School Feeding Programme to Enhance Nutritional Value in Children
The Niger State Government said it has concluded plans to re-introduce the school feeding programme amongst primary school children in the state in other to enhance the nutritional value of children in the state, saying that what the children eat determines their level of intelligent and productive capacity.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji who disclosed this on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital when he declared open, a two day legislative retreat for Legislators and Executives from Lagos, Niger, Kano, Kaduna and Nasarawa states, said already the state government is only waiting for the technical reports on the blueprint for the commencement of the programme.
The two day retreat with the theme; “Improving Nutrition Funding, the role of Legislators and Executives” is being organized by a civil society; Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria, and the organizers said is aimed at extracting commitment from the Executives and the Legislators on funding of Nutrition food amongst children in Nigeria to enhance their healthy growth.
According to the Speaker who said as two term Council Chairman in the state, introduced school feeding programme in primary schools in his local government even before the introduction of the National school feeding programme, pointed out that the present administration in the state has decided to prioritized nutrition for children in the state because of the realization that nutrition is key to the development of any nation.
While emphasizing the importance of nutrition in children, the Speaker stated that “what our children eat today determines their functionality tomorrow. Also what we feed our children with today determines the level of their intelligent and productive capacity”.
He said every government knows the importance of nutrition in children, stressing that what is lacking is the political will to get things done as regards to the funding of nutrition food which is key to healthy growth of our children.
Sarkindaji who commended the organizers of the retreat for a well thought out theme for the retreat “improving Nutritional Funding, the role of Legislators and Executives”, maintained that “the retreat will afford us, individually and collectively, the opportunity to think deeply and help our government put their resources where it will be for the outmost benefit to the people”.
A communiqué is expected from the retreat which ends tomorrow.
