More than 8.2 million children in 24 states of the federation are being offered free meals daily, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
Buhari, who stated this in his Children’s Day celebration message Sunday, said 45,000 schools have benefited from the programme across the country.
He also noted that since inception of his administration in May 2015, attention had been given to issues of child protection, participation and survival.
The President said the campaign to end violence against children was launched in 2015 and commemorated in 2016.
According to the President, November 2016 also saw the launch of campaign to end child marriage which has ensured that as many children as possible are able to fully enjoy their childhood and be protected from all the challenges associated with it.
Buhari recollected the love shown to him by children when he was critically ill and had to take a vacation in London for several months.
This, he noted, formed his administration’s commitment to the protection of children.
He said, “Today affords me another opportunity to re-affirm our administration’s commitment to the protection of children, a day to reflect on our roles and responsibilities as Parents and Leaders towards our children, and also assessing how far we have fared in this regard.
“At the last count, over 8.2 million children in 24 states of the Federation are being given free meals daily. This happens in 45,000 schools round the country.
“As you may recall, one of the cardinal objectives of this administration is the provision of quality education to our children as a fundamental foundation of economic and social development.
“In this regard, I am pleased to inform you that this administration has recorded measurable success in the home grown school feeding programme as it has continued to expand.
“Our children are our future, and the initiatives that come from them give confidence that our country has a bright future.
“I am always inspired and encouraged when I remember encounters I had with three of our young ones. When I was on medical vacation in 2017, three year old Maya Jammal recorded a prayer for my recovery, which went viral online.
“Also, 10 year old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi wrote a personal letter to me, describing herself as my “biggest fan.
“Nicole Benson, then 12 years old, had contributed N5,700.85 to my campaign in 2015. The money was all saved up from her lunch and pocket allowance. There are millions of such children nationwide.
“I am very impressed by what our children have been able to do, and what the future holds for them. That is one reason why we are committed to the school feeding programme, to prepare a future generation of physically and intellectually robust children.”
