Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday made a passionate appeal for international assistance in rolling out a climate-friendly school meal programme to boost school enrollment for vulnerable children.
Mrs. Tinubu spoke at a roundtable lunch organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where she emphasized Nigeria’s need for support.
Specifically, Nigeria seeks to implement sustainable meal programs in schools to increase enrollment in school, especially for children from the North, affected by desertification and flooding.
The First Lady described Nigeria’s challenges as complex, citing the recent flooding in Borno State. She, however, expressed optimism that with assistance, Nigeria can overcome these challenges.
Mrs. Tinubu in a statement by her media aide Busola Kukoyi, assured that the current administration is committed to working for the Nigerian people and restoring the country’s stability.
Acknowledging the potential of the school feeding programme to drive enrollment in schools as well as promote nutrition among scholars, the First Lady said the programme is under review in Nigeria.
While President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency on food security in the country, the First Lady noted that the launch of Young Farmers Club Nigeria and Every Home A Garden Competition, promoted by her, are clear indications of the priority attached to the provision of affine nutritious meals to children and others in the society.
“Nigeria is open to assistance in that area. It is something that I believe we really want to do so that we can have school enrollment up and then get most of the children, especially children from the North that are going through desertification and recently, flooding as witnessed in Bornu State,” she said.
“It is a hydra-headed problem that we are facing. But we are not really scared but we need all the assistance we can get, and you can believe in our administration that we are here to work for our people and Nigeria back on its feet.”
The roundtable lunch hosted other members of OAFLAD in attendance. It aims to position the school meals agenda in the G20 engagement of the African Union.
