The Lagos State Government announced on Monday, 24th May that it has budgeted N11 billion for Snacks for Thought program in its primary and nursery schools.
Speaking during the ministerial briefing to mark Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 2 years in office, the Special Adviser in the Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Adeyemi Adebowale said the program was created to compliment the home grown school feeding program of the Federal Government.
The home grown school feeding program currently covers pupils in primary one to three. However, the Lagos State initiative would cater for pupils from creche to primary six.
According to her, “The program will cost N11 billion. We are going to partner organisations on this. We already have over 400 volunteers that will work with us.”
Adebowale added that a report by UNICEF in 2018 showed that an estimated 229,264 pupils were out of school in Lagos State.
“In order to curb the rising numbers, we need more than statutory allocations. Interventions such as this will increase the rate of enrolment in schools and serve as a preventive security measure in reducing crime and hooliganism that may later on disrupt the socio-economic life of the state.”
The Special Adviser also said that more than 2,000 indigent pregnant mothers across some Local Government Areas of the State have benefitted from the state’s Mother, Infant and Child Program which aims to assist the less privileged pregnant women in Lagos State.
“The indigent pregnant women were selected from those who attend Primary Healthcare Centres in the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the State.”
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