The Presidency, on Wednesday, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of N93.1 billion for the proposed National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

This was made known by the Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande.

According to Akande, the federal government has appropriated the N93.1 billion in its 2016 budget for the feeding programme that will cover 18 different states -three per geopolitical zone- and will feed at least 5.5 million primary school one free hot meal for 200 school days.

While noting that interested states can compliment the efforts of the federal government, Akande stated that “we want the states to embrace this programme, it is good for the people, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

The Vice-President’s aide further disclosed that the feeding programme will also create jobs and improve the economic situation of families, saying that “because it is a localized menu that is provided for the pupils by the small-holder farmers from within the community who in turn also benefit.”

Akande said “a food vendor who to prepares meals for say 100 pupils per day, has to interact with small-holder farmers who grow yam, egg, condiments vegetables fruits. She has to interface with transporters as well as sellers of fuel etc thereby exchanging income along the value chain. ”

He also said that federal government the will pay caterers and beneficiaries directly at the rate of N70 per meal.