Free meals have made more students enrol in school

Mrs Olubunmi Ayoola, Programme officer of the Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEAL), says the free meal programme in the state has boosted enrollment of pupils in public schools.



Ayoola spoke on Friday in Osogbo while receiving a delegation from Niger State on a three-day visit to understudy the O’MEAL programme of the state.
She said that the Gov. Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in the state would continue to implement the feeding programme in spite of the scarce financial resources available to the state.

“Through this programme, there has been a relative increase in pupils’ enrollment in the state public schools,’’ Ayoola said.

She said that the programme also impacted positively on the state’s economy as food vendors and farmers were empowered in the process.
In her remarks, Mrs Afiniki Dauda, Special Adviser to Niger State Governor on Empowerment and Social Protection, who led the delegation, commended Gov. Aregbesola for the programme.
According to her, Niger will take a cue from Osun to run a similar programme.