The Federal Government has released N844 million and employed 11,775 cooks to start its one-meal per day programme to more than one million primary school pupils across seven states in the country.

The Federal Government has released N844 million and employed 11,775 cooks to start its one-meal per day programme to more than one million primary school pupils across seven states in the country.

This was announced in a statement by Mr Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity (SSA Media) to the President, Office of the Vice President.

Akande said this while giving a media update on the Social Investment Programme of the Buhari’s administration.

He said that the money had been released for the commencement of National Homegrown School Feeding Programme in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Zamfara states.

The SSA noted that not all the states had implemented the programme, adding that it had commenced in Anambra, Enugu, Osun, Ogun, and Oyo states. He also said that the programme was expected to start during the week in two other states – Ebonyi and Zamfara – that had been funded already.

Akande said that the Homegrown School Feeding Programme would feed one million school pupils during the week in the seven states. He said that 11,775 cooks were employed to prepare the meals while local farmers in the states would produce the food.

He said Anambra, which was the first state to receive government funding, had received three full funding to cover 30 school days, amounting to N188 million. In Ebonyi, government has also released N115 million, while 1,466 cooks had been engaged to feed 164,598 pupils. (NAN)