President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that the recently approved 2024 budget includes N100 billion allocation in school feeding programmes for school children across the country.
He made this statement during the signing of the 2024 appropriation bill into law in the State House in Abuja.
The president stated that the provision will serve as a stimulant to encourage attendance in schools and reduce the problem of out-of-school children.
- “One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100 billion provision for the feeding of school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage school enrolment and also address malnutrition among school children.
- “I will be meeting with local government at sub-national levels so that we can collaborate and jointly implement an all-inclusive programme,” the president said.
The president also confirmed that the budget, christened “Renewed Hope” is anchored on reducing the recurrent expenditure, but increasing capital expenditure.
The president noted that the budget also reflects his administration’s attempt to reduce the deficit from 6.11% to 3.88%.
He said,
- “The budget is anchored on reducing the deficit and increasing capital expenditure, particularly in our priority areas. The approved 2024 budget achieved both objectives.
- “It contains a good increase in the capital side, a reduction in recurrent expenditure. And it brought down the deficit from 6.11% to 3.88%.”
Backstory
- Earlier in December, Nairametrics reported that President Bola Tinubu has reintroduced the school feeding programme and mandated its transfer from the Humanitarian Ministry to the Education Ministry.
- The programme, previously halted under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now fall under the Education Ministry’s purview, aiming to not only provide nutritious meals to pupils but also encourage attendance and enhance learning.
- President Tinubu believes this relaunch is crucial in “checking the learning crisis” and fostering a better educational environment for all children.
- Speaking on the development, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said that the goal of the program is, “to figure out how to put all of the policies created to address the issues into practice and assign accountability to various organisations in charge of solving the issue of out-of-school youth.”
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