The African Union AU has lauded the Nigerian homegrown school feeding initiative, noting that no fewer than 65.4 million children in 51 countries now benefit from various school feeding programmes in Africa.
Project Manager for Nutrition and Food Safety, Africa Union Development Agency - New partnership for African development (AUDA-NEPAD), Ms Kefilwe Rhoba Moalosi disclosed this at the school feeding stakeholders strategic meeting themed: "Encouraging state-driven implementation and best practices for school feeding towards local agricultural value chain, community engagement and economic development."
She singled out Nigeria for praise on the implementation of the school feeding programme.
According to her, data compiled by the AU in 2019 indicated that the figure drawn from 51 countries represented a massive increase from 38.4 million in 2013.
She explained that the development should not be seen as a surprising development since African leaders, through the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 2016, acknowledged the contribution of School Feeding to human resources and capital development in Africa and endorsed the Home- Grown School Feeding to be commemorated annually on the 1st March.
She however stated that statistics indicate that only 27% of children in sub-Saharan Africa access a school meal and this affects learning outcomes. Kefilwe called on African leaders to emulate Nigeria for transitioning school feeding programme from federal government-led to state Government ownership.
She said; "Recent disruptions to African economies add traction to the movement and the need to think local-- especially in a continent where farming remains a top source of income and jobs, particularly for women. By working together, we can leverage our collective expertise and resources to develop comprehensive programs that address the multifaceted needs of our children--from nutrition and health to education and economic empowerment. funding for school meal programs coming directly from governments can vary widely.
"Investing in homegrown school feeding programmes is not without its challenges, but the rewards far outweigh the costs. As we embark on this journey, let us reaffirm our commitment to the well-being of our children and the prosperity of our communities.
"Together, we can build a brighter future for generations to come. We will only reach our goal to zero hunger, if we all walk together- we have to run together towards our goal!
"We thank very much the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Office of the SSA to the President for collaborating with AUDA-NEPAD to domesticate the continental school feeding guidelines through the engagement of school feeding implementers, especially at community level to contribute to the food and nutrition security outcomes.
"Encouraging state-driven implementation and best practices for school feeding can significantly enhance investments and promote local agricultural value chain, community engagement and economic development in school feeding programmes in Nigeria.
"School feeding programmes play a crucial role in addressing malnutrition, improving children's health and educational outcomes, promoting local agriculture and investing in homegrown school feeding programmes is not merely an expenditure; it is an investment in our collective future.
"By providing daily meals sourced from local farmers and producers, we ensure that our children receive the essential nutrients they need to thrive, both in schools and beyond. Each stakeholder brings unique resources and expertise to the table.
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"Each partner can contribute resources, expertise, and networks to ensure the success and sustainability of the program. However, several challenges remain in the implementation and transition to Home Grown School Feeding HGSF due to the lack of coordinated and systematic implementation approaches.
"Many African countries now seek technical assistance in designing, implementing, managing, monitoring, and evaluating HGSF programmes. Additionally, more and more countries are seeking to improve the quality of the meals in terms of nutrition and increase the scale of their HGSF programmes.
"This AUDA-NEPAD HGSF Guideline document is therefore meant to fill this gap and provide general direction as well as technical guidance to AU Member States who wish to establish or strengthen their HGSF programmes to create a genuinely multi-sectoral, win-win scenario", she added.
