Skip to main content

Why FG suspend school feeding programme in some states

Why FG suspend school feeding programme in some states


The Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, has explained why the Homegrown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Government was suspended in some states.

There had been reports of poor quality food, insufficient and irregular supply of food, as well as late disbursement of funds by the government in states, such as Akwa Ibom and Niger.

But reacting to the development, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Uwais said the Federal Government had started conducting a headcount of pupils being fed under the programme.

She explained that the National Social Investment Office had engaged the National Bureau of Statistics to conduct a headcount of pupils and those cooking the food under the intervention programme.

Uwais said the outcome of the data in the affected states was being reconciled, adding that it became necessary to do this due to the discovery of a  disagreement between the figures provided by officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board and what the monitors on the field actually reported.

She also noted that pupils had not been fed since April due to reconciliation efforts. “We have been reconciling the data in the states after engaging the NBS to conduct a headcount of pupils and cooks for us.

“Essentially, we found conflicting reports of the figures between official SUBEB figures and reports from monitors in the field.

“We mobilised the NBS to venture into all government-owned primary schools where we are feeding to confirm the numbers and those actually feeding.

“So yes, we haven’t fed the pupils since April due to reconciliation efforts, as some of the states are contesting the figures.

“We (will) start feeding on June 24 for the states that have been feeding, irrespective of their protests. That is the cut-off-date for all protests.”

The Federal Government had in 2015 designed the social safety programme to improve the lives of all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, political affiliation and social class.

The Muhammadu Buhari administration had structured the programme to be impact-oriented, specifically catering to the needs of the poor, the vulnerable  and those at the bottom of the social ladder without access to finance.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Breaking: ASUU suspends 2-week warning strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has suspended its two-week warning strike it declared last week across all public universities in the country. The union announced the suspension on Wednesday at a press conference held at its headquarters in Abuja. President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, who read a prepared speech before newsmen, explained that the development followed intervention by the Senate and some other well-meaning Nigerians. However, he sad the National Executive Council of the Union resolved to give the government a one-month window to address all contending areas.
2 comments
Read more

JUST IN: If Tinubu Had Told Me, I Wouldn’t Have Agreed To Rivers State Of Emergency Rule – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that he would not have agreed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he had discussed his move to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State. Wike noted that he is not in conflict with the suspended Rivers State Governor,      Sim Fubara  He stressed his opposition on the State of Emergency rule, stating that only the President knows the right time to lift it. While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Wike remarked that Fubara has permitted himself to be manipulated by his adversaries to oppose him. The FCT Minister said: “ I made it clear that this impunity will not stand, so what is happening in PDP is what I call undertakers because I see no reason why you will put yourself under that kind of crisis. “I don’t have any crisis with him (Fubara). I’m not the President who declared a State of Emergency; if Mr President had called me, I wouldn’t have agreed to the State of Emergenc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Woman Burned to Death, Accused of Kidnapping 7yrs Old Boy in Delta

By Tessy ogbemi An angry mob set ablaze a woman accused in a failed child kidnapping attempt in Agbarho community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.  The incident happened on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.  An eyewitness disclosed at the scene of the incident at Ekwvere Road claimed that the woman hid the seven year old boy she allegedly abducted in a sack, adding that she was even carrying a Bible on one hand.  Community sources said some residents in the area accosted the lady when they observed the way she was dragging the sack, to know what she had in it.  "She was unstable when they asked her to disclose what she was carrying in the sack. When the bag was forced open, they found a seven year old child in it. They shouted and it attracted a large crowd,” a source said.  It was gathered that the angry mob immediately brought a used tyre to the scene, which they forced down her neck after beating her to a pulp.  “The lady and the tyre we...
1 comment
Read more