A public school teacher in Lagos State, Ayomide Adesanya, has appealed to local governments nationwide to provide free lunches for public primary and secondary school pupils.

Ms Adesanya said doing so would help to alleviate the impact of economic hardship on pupils’ academic performance and well-being.

In an interview in Epe on Wednesday, Ms Adesanya highlighted that many public school pupils struggled to concentrate due to hunger.

She said, “Some pupils arrive at school without food, while others rely on insufficient provisions. Pupils cannot perform optimally on an empty stomach; hunger shifts their focus from learning to survival.”

Ms Adesanya said providing lunches would enhance concentration and academic outcomes.

She noted that Kaduna and Ogun states had started implementing school feeding programmes.

She stated, “Lagos, as a leading state, should not lag in providing this essential service. The benefits of free lunches will extend beyond pupils by encouraging parents to enroll their children in public schools and reducing dropout rates.”

She called for collaboration among local, state, and federal governments to make this initiative a reality, stressing the need to address child malnutrition.

Efforts to contact the Lagos State Ministry of Education and Local Government Service Commission officials for comment were unsuccessful.

(NAN)