National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) is said to be one of the projects of The Federal Government of Nigeria,An account of how the action was carried out was given by the Coordinator NYCN, Ibeju-lekki Branch,Comrade Ramoni Fatai Adesina.
Read below;
THE REPORT OF NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (NYCN) IBEJU-LEKKI BRANCH
ON THE NATIONAL HOME GROWN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM (FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO PARENTS WITH CHILDREN IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS)
OBSERVED AT ALL DISRIBUTION CENTERS IN IBEJU-LEKKI, LAGOS STATE ON FRIDAY 29TH MAY, 2020.
INTRODUCTION
The National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) is one of the social investment program of the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, aimed at improving the health and educational outcomes of public primary school pupils. It uses farm produce locally grown by smallholder farmers to provide children nutritious mid-day meals on every school day.
The program continues this year as directed by the president, though the pupils are at home due to the pandemic. The Ministry in collaboration with the State Government adopted the distribution of Take-Home Rations (THR) to the parent/guidance of the pupils captured through the available data source from schools.
Ibeju-Lekki Local Government has its own shared benefit from this program in May 29th, 2020 with distribution exercise occurred at nine (9) centers across the Local Government.
PROGRAM OBSERVER
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Ibeju-Lekki Branch being the umbrella body for all youths organization and stakeholder in all youth affairs, in conjunction with an affiliated organisation, National Association of Ibeju Lekki Students.
CENTERS
The distribution exercise took place in six(6)centers across the Local Government and three(3) centers at the Local Council Development Area (LCDA) . The centers include;
IBEJU-LEKKI LG
- Eputu center
- Bogije center
- Ibeju center
- Idado center
- Magbon center
- Akodo center
LEKKI LCDA
1.Okunraye center
- Otolu center
- Lekki center
FOOD ITEMS SUPPLIED
The food items distributed across the various centers include;
5kg of Rice, 5kg of beans, a sachet of salt and two sachets of tomato paste, half crate of eggs, a bottle each of Palm and groundnut oil. The beneficiaries got a pack of food containing each of these items.
MODALITY OF DISTRIBUTION
There was use of voucher for collection of the food package. The voucher was previously distributed to parent/ guidance of pupils captured from the public school data source. Each beneficiary present their voucher to the youth corps (officer in charge) for collection, having properly queued with social distancing rules observed and use of face mask strictly adhere to.
CHALLENGES OBSERVED
*Insufficient personnel during the capturing
*Insufficient supply of food items
*Late commencement in some centers
*Inability of some eligible parent to receive package due to rationalization and poor awareness
RECOMMENDATION
It is our recommendation that for the subsequent distribution exercise, the following should be considered;
- Ensure proper distribution of voucher to only eligible parents of pupil in public primary school.
- Ensure adequate supply of food items to meet the number of eligible household with voucher
- Engage more local farmers within the local government for supply of the food items
- Avoid merger of households during distribution exercise
- Ensure adequate notification to the parent/ guidance prior to the distribution exercise.
- Ensure increase in the number of personnel to carry out the capturing exercise CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Ibeju-Lekki branch appreciates the Federal government of Nigeria for this laudable social intervention program for our pupils. Similarly we extend our unreserved gratitude to the state government, the Universal Basic Education Board and every stakeholder involved in the success of the program.
SIGNED:
Comrade Ramoni Fatai Adesina
Coordinator
NYCN, Ibeju-lekki Branch
