TheCable

Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister for humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, has flagged off the modified home grown school feeding programme in Abuja.

The programme seeks to provide food for beneficiaries of school feeding programme while they stay at home.

While imposing a lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja on March 29, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the ministry to liaise with state governments and develop strategies for the continuation of the school feeding programme.

Speaking at the flag-off on Thursday in Kuje area of the federal capital territory (FCT), the minister said the programme will impact 3,131,971 households across the country.

“The ministry is working hard with our partners both at national and international levels to mitigate the challenge posed by hunger especially during this trying period,” Farouq said.

“We are working with the World Food Programme, who are providing technical support while other agencies of Government have been invited to provide an extra layer of monitoring. They include the DSS, EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and a host of NGOS and CSOS.

“The ministry is using the opportunity of the Programme to collect and verify data with the support of CSOs and NGOs.”

The minister also noted that the take home rations will target parents and guardians of children in primary 1 to 3 in public schools.

She said six area councils in the FCT — Kuje, Kwali, Abaji, Amac, Bwari and Gwagwalada — will benefit from the programme after which Lagos and Ogun states will follow.