National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Federal Government have announced that the Home-Grown School feeding programme will continue through feeding pupil at their homes.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development disclosed that, it has concluded plans with state governments to continue the programme using the door-to-door voucher distribution system.
Explaining the process, the minister of the ministry, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed that the programme will give priority to Lagos, Ogun and FCT but will extend to all states currently participating in the program for a period of 30 days.
Recall that, President Muhammadu Buhari while addressing Nigerians recently that he had directed the ministry to look into the possible continuity of the programme with State governments despite the closure of schools and declaration of complete lockdown in part of the country and a partial shutdown in others.
Farouq in a statement issued on Wednesday, 8th April, 2020 in Abuja, stated that the use of voucher is to avoid overcrowding at designated distribution site.
“Vouchers will allocate collection time to avoid overcrowding. The vouchers will be redeemed at designated distribution sites,”
She said “Existing aggregators will provide the food items. Distribution sites will be situated within the communities and in some States within the schools by hand washing ports. Safety and hygiene precautions will be observed,”
Speaking on the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program, Farouq disclosed that the ministry had so far distributed N20,000 each to 110,202 existing beneficiaries on the National Social Register in seven States across the Nation.
She said payments will commence in 17 additional States on Monday, 13th April, 2020.
“It is important to highlight that since the creation of the Ministry, we have piloted digital payment in 6 States and part of the overhaul of the CCT program is transitioning to digital payments across all participating States. This is a priority and we are actively working to transition the mode of payment all across the states,”
The minister however noted that the National Emergency Management Agency is ready to deploy 77,000 metric tons of food items to households of satellite towns in front line States; Lagos, FCT, and Ogun with particular emphasis on vulnerable households as directed by Mr. President.
She said the North East Development Commission had provided 11,000 Personal Protective Equipment, 12 ventilators, 6,000 surgical masks, 3,000 ordinary masks, 192 infra-red thermometer, 2,400 hand gloves and 2,500 hand sanitizers to 6 states in the North East geopolitical zone.
