Otto-Awori Chairman begins school feeding scheme, seeks support for child nutrition

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Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

Chairman of Otto-Awori Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Azeez Abiodun-Kareem, on Tuesday flagged off the ‘Adopt-A-School-Snacks for Thought’ initiative aimed at improving child nutrition, boosting school attendance and enhancing learning outcomes among public primary school pupils in the council.

The programme, launched at L.A. Primary School, Otto-Awori, is being implemented in collaboration with the Federal Government, Lagos State Government and the Conference of the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative is part of the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme and is designed as a public-private partnership to mobilise support from corporate organisations, philanthropists, development partners and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, Abiodun-Kareem described children as the centrepiece of national development, stressing that no child should be expected to learn on an empty stomach.

According to him, the council remains committed to working with both the federal and state governments to ensure the well-being of children across the LCDA.

“A well-fed child studies better, concentrates well and dreams bigger.
“For us, L.A. Primary School is our starting point. The feeding, which will be sustained, will gradually reach other schools within the council.

“When we take hunger out of the classroom, we unlock potential. That is why it is important to show our children that they do not learn on an empty stomach,” he said.

The chairman described the initiative as a strategic intervention capable of revitalising teaching and learning while improving pupils’ academic performance.

He called on corporate bodies, well-meaning individuals and organisations to support the education sector through similar interventions, pledging that the council would sustain the programme and expand its reach to more schools.
Abiodun-Kareem also encouraged pupils to remain committed to their studies and work hard toward achieving their future aspirations.

Earlier, the Executive Director of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Dr. Aderemi Adebowale, described the launch as the beginning of a nationwide movement anchored on the principle that “Food Security Meets National Security.”

Represented by Mrs Esther Adedeji, Adebowale said the initiative would mobilise governments, private organisations, development partners, foundations and individual Nigerians to provide nutritious snacks for pupils in public primary schools while leveraging technology to ensure transparency and accountability.

“Today is more than the launch of a programme; it is the beginning of a movement.

“When a child goes to school hungry, learning suffers and human capital development is weakened. But when we nourish our children, we strengthen education, build productive citizens, grow the economy and secure Nigeria’s future,” she said.

She explained that the programme would operate through a digital ‘Adopt-A-School’ dashboard, enabling individuals and organisations to directly support schools and monitor the impact of their contributions in real time.

According to her, even modest contributions can make a significant difference by improving children’s nutrition, enhancing classroom concentration and supporting national development.

Adebowale emphasised that government alone could not meet the nutritional needs of every Nigerian child, urging stronger collaboration among governments, private organisations, development partners and local communities to ensure the programme’s success.

The initiative is expected to contribute to improved enrolment, reduced absenteeism, better academic performance and a decline in the number of out-of-school children, while strengthening the country’s human capital development agenda. (NAN)