First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has made a passionate appeal for international assistance in rolling out a climate-friendly school meal programme aimed at boosting school enrollment, particularly for vulnerable children.
Speaking at a roundtable lunch organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Tinubu emphasised Nigeria’s need for support.
Nigeria is seeking to implement sustainable meal programs in schools to increase school enrollment, especially for children from the North, who are affected by desertification and flooding.
The First Lady described the challenges facing the country as complex, citing the recent flooding in Borno State. However, she expressed optimism that with assistance, Nigeria can overcome these challenges.
In a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, Mrs Tinubu assured that the current administration was committed to working for the Nigerian people and restoring the country’s stability.
The Federal Government is already expanding partnerships to enhance its national Homegrown School Feeding programme, aiming to double the programme’s reach.
Acknowledging the potential of 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, Senator Oluremi 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 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 Bornu State.
“It is an 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 Nigeria back on its feet,” she said.
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. (Nation)