Date: 2018-03-27

... 1,962 vendors shortlisted

The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) will kick off in September in Kwara State, National Pilot has learnt.

The disclosure was made at the weekend by the Focal Person of the scheme in the state, Elder Ayobola Samuel, who also doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Sports.

The scheme is part of the electioneering campaign promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 polls.

Speaking during a telephone interview with our reporter, Elder Samuel said that no fewer than 1,962 vendors have been shortlisted in Kwara for the scheme. "The programme will start by September, because by then, all necessary yardsticks must have been put in place," he stated.

According to him, all the food vendors have been screened adding that only those that met the set requirements were shortlisted. He further stated that medical screening exercise and biometric capturing will soon be conducted on them.

"We just concluded the final screening of the school feeding vendors. We have shortlisted those that met our requirements. The next thing before we finalise the list is to carry out medical screening exercise on those people.

"The screening is very important in order to avoid spread of communicable diseases. We intend to incorporate them into various cooperative society groups so that that they can acquire loan for their business.

"We'll do biometric capturing for all of them. They will open accounts and money will go into individual personal accounts directly. With this, there won't be issue of someone diverting money for another thing. We don't want them to have excuse for not performing," he stressed.

Recall that the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo at the weekend said that no fewer than 7.4million pupils in 22 states are benefitting from the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) of the present administration.