GAIN launches ENSAND project

Mrs Anjor Obande, National Program Manager of Renewed Hope National Home Grown School Feeding and End Hunger Program (RH-NHGSFEHP), says the introduction of GAIN ENSAND Project is to improve and expand beneficiaries of the programme.

Obande made this known at the launch of the project on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr Betta Edu, and the National Coordinator, NSIPA Hajia Halima Shehu had expressed their unalloyed support towards the partnership with GAIN.

She added that Edu and Shehu looked forward to a fruitful working relationship with GAlN, especially on the national home-grown school feeding programme

“Home-Grown School Meals has the potential through coordinated, multi-sectoral, and consolidated efforts and partnership, to significantly contribute to enhancing food and nutrition security in households and communities all over the country.

“The administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to restructuring the programme in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda towards ending poverty, reducing the number of out-of-school children and eliminating malnutrition in school Age children.

“Recently at the School Meals Coalition Ministerial Meeting, we committed to expand the programme beneficiaries to include children in military schools, para-military schools, out-of-school children, and children in emergency settings to reach universal coverage by 2025.

“In addition, we have also committed to introducing School Kitchens and Gardens through a Farm-to-Kitchen Initiative, to improve implementation and ensure food system transformation,” she said.

She further explained that the project has identified Small Holder Farmers (SHF) as key linkage and strategy to foster easier and cheaper access to food produce by the cooks/Vendors.

Obande called on domestic and international actors and partners to collaborate in ensuring that the school Meals Basket Fund is successfully
established.

This, according to her, would be a significant investment in the future of Nigerian children, which will contribute to expanding the beneficiaries of the programme and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).