President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has spent over N1.8 billion to feed schoolchildren in Ondo, says the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

The ministry disclosed that the regime spent the money on the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) in Ondo in the last three years.

This is contained in a statement signed by Nneka Anibeze, media to humanitarian affairs minister Sadiya Farouq, on Wednesday in Abuja.

At a verification visit, Ms Farouq, represented by the Ondo Team lead, Kemisola Olasetemi, explained that the biometric capturing of the pupils in the NHGSFP would help in data management and efficient implementation.

“The federal government has intensified efforts to ensure accurate and comprehensive coverage of primary schools in Ondo state in its programme in public schools. The exercise will be an ongoing process. Note that more than N1.8 billion has been spent in the last three years to cater for pupils in Ondo state under the NHGSF programme,” the statement noted. “With 108,842 primary school pupils already in its database, the federal government, through the ministry, will continue the capturing exercise.”

The minister explained that “we will be coming back in September and October” to capture new pupils who will come on board and exit some who are graduating.”

Ms Farouq also said the enumeration of 95,983 pupils across primary schools under the school feeding programme had also commenced in Osun.

“With the new collaboration recently signed with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the ministry also partnered the National Youth Service Corps members to distribute forms and capture the data,’’ she stated.

Taiwo Bashorun, the Osun coordinator of NHGSF, disclosed that 1,460 schools were currently enjoying the feeding programme by the federal government.