Remi Tinubu seeks assistance to rejig Nigeria’s school meal programme

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has called on development partners to assist in the country’s bid to roll out climate-friendly school meal programmes.

She stated this at the Roundtable lunch organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, OAFLAD, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation on the sideline of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Acknowledging the potential of the school feeding programme to drive up enrollment in schools as well as promote nutrition among scholars, the First Lady said the programme is under review in Nigeria.

While President Bola Tinubu has shown commitment by declaring a state of emergency on food security in the country, Mrs Tinubu noted that the launch of Young Farmers Club Nigeria and Every Home A Garden Competition promoted by her are clear indications of the priority attached to the provision of affine nutritious meals to children and others in the society.

To ensure sustainable rollout, Nigeria with its surging population and climatic challenges, needs all the help she can get.

“Nigeria is open to assistance in that area. It is something that I believe we really want to do so that we can have school enrollment up and then get most of the children, especially children from the North, that are going through desertification and recently, flooding as witnessed in Borno State. It is a hydra-headed problem that we are facing. But we are not really scared, but we need all the assistance we can get, and you can believe in our administration that we are here to work for our people and get Nigeria back on its feet.”

The goal of the Roundtable lunch which had in attendance other members of OAFLAD, is to, among others, position the school meals agenda in the G20 engagement of the African Union.

SIGNED
Busola Kukoyi
SSA Media to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria