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The workshop, which was held at the Western Hall, State Secretariat, Ibadan, was aimed at equipping top civil servants and other stakeholders in the various communities with the knowledge required for the success of the programme.
At the workshop were directors of the state ministries of education, health and agriculture as well as those of the Universal Basic Education Board, representatives of the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNIVEF) and private sector participants.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi who addressed participants at the workshop stated that the project was aimed at attracting millions of out-of-school children and keeping them in class “for them to acquire education and improve their nutritional needs.”
“The Federal Government’s decision to revive the school feeding programme is, therefore, a demonstration of its commitment to tackling the problem of malnutrition among school-age children.“A daily school meal provides a strong incentive to send children to school and keep them there. It allows children to focus on their studies rather than their stomachs and helps to increase school enrollment and attendance.” Ajimobi said.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Olalekan Ali, also pointed out that the project would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for people in the state including farmers, caterers, artisans and feed mills operators, among others.
In her address, the head of the Federal Government team on the project, Mrs Abimbola Adesanmi, re-emphasized Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s declaration that the project would attract N980 billion investments, create jobs and boost agriculture.
She highlighted the benefits of the projects to local farmers, artisans, caterers and financial institutions, adding that there is ready market for all farm produce because demand is far higher than what is currently being produced.