By Ifeanyichukwu Marcus
(SINL NIGERIA) Zamfara State Universal Basic Education, ZSUBEB, in collaboration with the office of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Oluremi Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs have agreed to kick start the school feeding program in the State.
During the meeting, the State Feeding Program Officer, Aliyu Guraguri Sardaunan Shinkafi, stated that the aim of the program was to support the education sector in the State.
He also said that the program is to complement the efforts of Governor Lawal for the State of emergency he declared on education in the State.
Shinkafi emphasized that the program is a service delivery intervention, that aims at reducing the number of out-of-school children by 50 percent in the State.
“Zamfara State has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the country, and with this program, it is hoped that this number will decrease significantly”, he said.
“Initially, three thousand three hundred pupils from primary one to three will benefit from the program, with the hope that the State government will extend the program to other primary levels to further support educational development in the State”
In his speech, the Executive Chairman of Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, ZSUBEB, Professor Nasir Garba Anka, commended the efforts of the office of the First Lady for her continuous support towards Zamfara State and pledged to collaborate with them for the success of the program.
He assured that the Board would provide all necessary support to ensure the smooth implementation of the program.
Professor Anka also urged other Non-Governmental Organizations and philanthropists to support education for the future generation, as the Governor has shown a strong commitment to improving education in the State through the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector.
Among those in attendance were Muhammad Adamu, Technical Assistant to the office of the First Lady Presidency, Oyewumi Oyedokun, Senior Special Assistant to the Office of the First Lady on School Feeding, among others.
