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FG to Relaunch Suspended School Feeding Program, Prioritize Education Initiatives – Finance Minister
Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, recently announced plans by the federal government to revive the previously suspended National School Feeding Programme.
This announcement was made during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education, which took place on Thursday.
The meeting, as highlighted in a statement by Mohammed Manga, the ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, focused on addressing Nigeria’s rising challenge of out-of-school children.
Edun emphasized that the government is fully committed to ensuring that necessary resources are allocated to support and enhance educational initiatives across the nation.
The minister outlined the government’s strategy for boosting access to quality education, particularly through innovative financial programs aimed at resolving the critical issue of millions of children being out of school.
According to him, these initiatives would ensure long-term impact, helping to sustain the country’s educational system while positively affecting the national budget.
Central to Edun’s remarks was the forthcoming relaunch of the ‘Home-Grown School Feeding Program,’ a federal initiative designed to boost school enrollment by providing nutritious meals to children during school hours.
He stressed that providing food to students is not only essential for improving their overall health but also serves as an incentive for children to stay in school.
This, in turn, would help significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children, a pressing issue in Nigeria’s educational landscape.
Furthermore, the minister announced that in addition to the feeding program, the government is exploring other innovative projects such as the “Secretariat for Financing Safe Schools,” aimed at further strengthening Nigeria’s educational system.
These initiatives form part of a broader government effort to make quality education accessible to all Nigerian children, thereby fostering a more promising and prosperous future for the next generation.
It is worth noting that this announcement follows the suspension of several key programs under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) earlier this year.
On January 12, President Bola Tinubu ordered the suspension of all NSIPA-related activities, including the school feeding program, as part of an investigation into alleged mismanagement and irregularities within the agency.
This decision came shortly after the suspension of Halima Shehu, then CEO of NSIPA, on January 2, due to accusations of financial misconduct.
Just days later, on January 8, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who oversaw the operations of NSIPA, was also suspended for similar reasons.
The suspension of these programs, which included N-Power, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and the Home-Grown School Feeding Initiative, triggered public concern.
By March 13, the House of Representatives called on the federal government to restart the suspended social investment initiatives, recognizing their importance to Nigeria’s socio-economic stability.
The House further conducted a probe into the school feeding program, arguing that the outright cancellation of such an initiative could exacerbate the country’s challenges with poverty and education access.
Edun’s recent announcement signifies the government’s renewed focus on addressing these challenges and reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that educational programs, like the school feeding initiative, are adequately funded and sustainable in the long run.
According to the minister, this revival aligns with the administration’s vision of creating a better future for Nigerian children by expanding access to quality education and addressing key barriers that have long plagued the nation’s educational sector.
Amid ongoing debates over the pricing template for petrol, former senator Shehu Sani has drawn an intriguing comparison between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Sani remarked that many Nigerians initially saw the relationship between the two as reminiscent of the biblical brothers Cain and Abel, where one would represent good and the other, evil.
However, he suggested that the reality has proven otherwise, with both entities resembling “Cain.”
Taking to social media platform X, Sani posted, “Most people thought that Dangote and NNPC are like Cain and Abel.
Now they found out that they are Cain Junior and Cain Senior,” implying that neither company is living up to the positive expectations of Nigerians.
This reaction comes in the wake of the NNPC’s recent release of estimated petrol prices for September 2024.
According to the state-run oil company, it is purchasing petrol from Dangote Refinery in U.S. dollars, which has significantly influenced the retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) across Nigeria.
The NNPC stated that the petrol purchased from the Dangote Refinery gantry was bought at N898.78 per litre.
With logistics costs factored in, the price of petrol in Lagos will reach an estimated N950.22 per litre.
In cities such as Abuja, Sokoto, and Kano, prices are expected to be around N999.22 per litre.
Other regions are also grappling with high pump prices. In states like Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Imo, fuel is estimated to be sold at N980 per litre.
The highest recorded price is in Borno State, where the cost of petrol is expected to soar to N1,019.22 per litre.
The rising cost of petrol has sparked widespread frustration among Nigerians, who had hoped that the opening of the Dangote Refinery would help stabilize prices.
Many had anticipated that Dangote and NNPCL would work together to alleviate the economic burden on citizens, but the continued rise in fuel prices has led to disillusionment.
Former President Donald Trump will announce World Liberty Financial, a new cryptocurrency exchange, on September 16, 2024, with his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump managing the platform. The exchange will reserve 70% of its tokens for insiders and sell 30% publicly.
This move aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to lead in crypto, though it raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the use of federal resources. Despite past criticism of cryptocurrencies, Trump’s campaign now supports digital currencies and accepts crypto donations.
The Dangote Refinery has marked a significant milestone as the first batch of trucks has begun loading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, at the facility.
This development was highlighted in a video shared by the Dangote Group on its official X account, where the company confirmed the commencement of fuel loading.
In the video, the company announced that the trucks are ready to load PMS, signaling a major step toward locally produced petrol being distributed across Nigeria.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had previously confirmed the arrival of over 300 trucks at the Dangote Refinery, prepared to load petrol and begin distribution nationwide.
This marks a historic moment for Nigeria, as it is the first time in several years that the country will be loading and distributing locally refined petrol.
The significance of this achievement goes beyond mere fuel distribution.
It could have far-reaching effects on the nation’s economy, potentially reducing the cost of fuel and curbing long-standing issues of fuel scarcity that have plagued Nigerians.
Finance Minister Wale Edun, alongside Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman Zacch Adedeji, had earlier confirmed that all necessary agreements were in place for NNPCL to begin lifting petrol from the Dangote Refinery.
Industry stakeholders and petroleum marketers are optimistic that the launch of fuel distribution from the refinery will not only address the recurring problem of fuel shortages but may also lead to a gradual reduction in petrol prices.
This development promises to be a significant leap toward achieving energy independence in Nigeria and fostering more stability in the nation’s fuel market.
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