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 in primary schools in the state with the aim to enhancing the nutritional value of food in children in the state.

It indicated 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 spoke 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.
According to him, 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 to Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria.
According to the organizers the move is aimed at extracting commitment from the Executives and the Legislators on funding for Nutrition food amongst children in Nigeria to enhance their healthy growth.
The Speaker who was two term Council Chairman in the state, said, he introduced school feeding programme in primary schools in his local government even before the introduction of the National school feeding programme.
He pointed out that the present administration in the state has decided to prioritized nutrition for children 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 with regards to 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: “improving Nutritional Funding, the role of Legislators and Executives”, maintained that “the retreat will afford them, individually and collectively, the opportunity to think deeply and help the various governments put their resources where it will be for the outmost benefit to the people”