Abia Government Begins Free Feeding in Primary School

UMUAHIA—ABIA State government has kicked off a
free primary schools lunch programme aimed at
giving the pupils free meal daily in all public
primary schools.
The programme, according to the government,
would help “meet the basic nutritional needs of
children and expand the opportunity to reach their
full potential and significantly enhance the
academic performance of the children.”
The programme is to feed a total number of 136, 258
pupils, who will consume 408, 774 fresh eggs, 51,
09, 670 grammes of ofada rice and 68, 120, 000
grammes of beans, weekly.
Flagging off the first phase of the programme at
Ntigha primary school in Isiala Ngwa North council,
weekend, Governor Ikpeazu said the initiative was
borne out of a genuine desire to invest in children
who are the future leaders.
He said that he understood what it meant to go to
school on an empty stomach as well as the pains
some parents went through to provide meals for
their children, saying that under the scheme, every
pupil in Abia was sure of at least one meal a day.
Ikpeazu lamented tons of food that end up in the
dust bin on daily basis by the affluent while some
children go hungry due to lack and stressed the
need to bridge the gap. He pledged to sustain the
programme.