NAN-HG-10
Children
By Martha Agas
Jos, Dec. 6, 2016(NAN) The Plateau Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme is targeted at no fewer than 5.5 million primary school children, an official has said.
Dr Sumaye Hamza, the state Focal Person for the programme, gave this indication at an orientation programme for Chief Orientation and Mobilsation Officers (COMO) of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Tuesday in Jos.
The officials were chosen among many other applicants for training to pioneer the programme in the state, Hamza said.
She said that the major objectives of the School Feeding Programme was to improve school enrolment, retention in school and increase the rate of completion of their studies among other reasons.
“The main objectives of this programme is to improve children’s enrolment, improve retention and increase their rate of completion, boost agricultural activity, empower the food vendors and enhance nourishment of children.”
She explained that the scheme would cut down cost through engaging farmers and food vendors in the same community with the school, thus providing job opportunities and boosting economic activities.
According her, the state has already collected data on children’s population for the target classes of primary one to primary six.
Sumaye said the physical verification for the Job creation and Youth Empower-N-Power scheme for the NYSC and NOA personnel from the 17 local government areas was to ensure that the genuine beneficiaries were shortlisted for the job.
She said that of the 12,000 applicants only 3,395 persons were selected for the programme in Plateau.
“Candidates will be deployed to public primary and junior secondary schools based on the needs assessment, some will be deployed as agricultural extension officers while others as medical personnel based on residency not origin,” she said.
In his remarks, Mr Bulus Dabit, the Plateau State Director of NOA, said that the orientation was necessary for the officials to be able to discharge their duties effectively as pioneers.
He described the programme as laudable, aiming to eradicate poverty and curtail youth restiveness and other vices in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that other components of the State Investment and Empowerment Programme include the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
Another component is the STEM+E Bursary for students studying Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Education in public tertiary institutions. (NAN)
MAA/ECN/NKO
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Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye/Nkechi Okoronkwo
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