The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in collaboration with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAIN, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on nutrition for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, NPOM, at the event which took place in Abuja.
He said the MoU was another milestone, for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme.
According to him, the approval of the Policy on National Home Grown School Feeding Programme by the Federal Executive Council and the Signing of an MoU on nutrition is a step forward towards realising the objectives of the School Feeding programme in Nigeria.
“I am really happy that this is happening at a time when this country is transiting to a new administration. They will require this kind of documentation to build upon because people will change, leadership will change, but once the documentation is right, we are on the right cause. The MoU is not just going to be a symbolic signing, but a strategic one. The Ministry will continue to work towards achieving its separate, but yet mutual objectives of building resilience and empowering people,” he noted.
He further stated that another strategic importance of the MoU is that the GAIN will go down in history as one of the first organisations to partner with the government in institutionalizing this process.
In his welcome remarks, the National Coordinator, National Social Investment Programme, Dr Umar Bindir, said the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) under National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) is gradually maturing and it is attracting partnership internationally, which is an index that the Ministry was doing the right thing.
He said the passage of the policy of the National Home-grown School Feeding Programme by the Federal Executive Council is an indication that what the President had created innovatively based on evidence, is actually the way to go.
Earlier, the Country Director GAIN, Dr. David Mamewalen, congratulated the entire team of the Ministry on the passage of the policy, which set the base for further engagements and future investments.
Dr Mamewalen stated that the signing of the MoU would help to set the stage on how the two partners can collaborate better over the coming months and years.
In her votes of thanks, the Team Lead, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Aisha Digil , on behalf of the Honourable Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq and the entire Home-Grown School Feeding team at the National and State levels, thanked the GAIN team for the partnership.
She stated that the milestones were achieved by the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme as a result of the good leadership of the Ministry.
The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU which was witnessed by the Director Legal and other Directors of the Ministry, National Coordinator, NSIP and officials of NHGSFP and the GAIN.
PIAK
