School feeding programme: Pupils’ enrolment hits over 200,000 in Oyo

THE enrolment of pupils in public primary schools in Oyo state has increased from a baseline of 168,450 to 204,904 in the past 11 months, recording reduction in truancy of pupils.

Also, it has triggered the increase in enrollment by 21% in all primary schools in the state, just as its created  job opportunities to people, bringing beneficiaries to 2,111.

Authority has attributed the development to the introduction of school feeding programme, an initiative of the Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government in collaboration with the state government.

The feeding programme dubbed ‘Homegrown School Feeding Programme’ is the federal government initiative to feed primary 1 -3 pupils in public primary schools in the country with an adequate meal per day.

The state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela confirmed the increase while addressing newsmen in Ibadan, the state capital on Sunday.

Expressing satisfaction with the increased pupil’s enrolment, increased retention and completion rate of primary school pupils, reduced hunger and improved nutritional status of primary school pupils, Olowofela noted that the programme is achieving its expected results by boosting production of homegrown foods and encouraging small scale farming.

It would be recalled that the objectives of the National Feeding Programme among others are to increase nutritional status and academic performance of pupils, create job opportunities to people as well as improve agricultural value chain.

Oyo State was one of the first seven states that benefited from the programme which commenced on the 30th January, 2017 .