Education
School Feeding: NHGSFP Commends FG’s Expansion Initiative
Stakeholders in the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), have lauded the Federal Governmenton for the effective implementation and expansion of NHSGFP to achieve its desired objectives.
They made the commendation at a two-day training on “Optimising School Meal menus”, using SMP Plus (Plus School Menus Tool) for states focal persons and managers from the six geopolitical zones in Abuja, Thursday.
The training was organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in collaboration with the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
The stakeholders observed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, through its National Social Investments Programme (NSIP), had encouraged many children to enroll into school.
Adamawa Focal Person North East, Mrs Mary Yuwadi said the school feeding programme had increased enrollment in the state as the children received their breakfast daily.
Yuwadi said that those children, who had dropped out of school, were back to school because they were encouraged by the meal given in the school.
“Apart from that, the meal is very nutritious because we give them balanced diet and that has increased their nutrition.
“So, we want the government to continue with the school feeding programme and also appeal that some of the schools that are not included in the programme should be added,” she said.
Programme Manager, NSIP, Kano, Baba Zubair noted that the school feeding helped a lot in enrolment of pupils into primary school, saying “also, the economic benefits are so much that every part of our economy benefits from it because whenever there is school feeding, the farmers will produce.
“The problem we are facing is that most good programmes like this do not continue once another government comes.
“It will strike it down but something like this should be sustained because the results are there.
“In Kano, we have the largest number of school pupils that are benefiting from this, currently we are feeding over 1.2 million children between primary one and three,” Zubair said.
On his part, the Enugu State Programme Manager, NHGSFP, Ifeanyi Onah said however that one of the challenges was the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, saying that afterwards, there was hike in the prices of food items.
“That made it difficult for cooks to access food at the normal price they were getting it before,’’ he said.
Onah, however, said that apart from some of the challenges, the programme was really touching many lives positively in the state.
In his remarks, the Acting Head, Capacity Strengthening and Policy Coherence Unit, World Food Programme (WFP), Kim Do- Hwan, said that feeding children with nutritious meal would enhance their growth and productiveness.
Do-Hwan said that the training would help to improve National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme nationwide.
The Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board has released the names of 5,600 newly recruited primary school teachers and 80 caregivers in the State.
The SUBEB Chairman, Nureni Adeniran, who announced this in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday, explained that the list had been duly approved by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde.
“The newly appointed teachers and caregivers are the first batch of successful applicants from the recent recruitment exercise carried out by the board,” he said.
“The list will be uploaded on the portal and will be available for candidates to check their names from the portal.
A Professor of Accountancy in the Department of Accounting , Faculty of Administration and Management, Rivers State University, Prof Lawyer Chukwumah Obara has advocated the adoption of African traditional values as a managerial tool to eradicate systemic corruption and mismanagement of public funds in governance.
According to him , the use of such African traditional methods like shrine oath-taking by public servants will deter such public officials from misappropriation of public funds while in office. He said accounting system is evolutionary science that recognises the practice of some pragmatic ideological practices such as African norms and values to fight corruption and mismanagement of funds that is predominantly noticed in both public and private governance.
Prof Obara stated this while delivering his inaugural lecture at the 106th inaugural lecture series of the state university with the topic, “Pragmatic Ideologies and Visionary Accounting: Reinforcing the Helmet, “ held at the Senate auditorium,last Wednesday.
He noted that all the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory in the country can convinently survive without any federal allocation if they embrace pragmatic ideological accounting systems that are visionary accounting methods.
“Every State must adopt pragmatic approaches in their accounting system,there should be accountability and transparency, ,we must be flexible in our Constitution as constitutional rigidity is bane of the growth of the nation and we must go back to our root , traditional values and that will promote wonderful accounting system and the world will celebrate us,”he stated.
The erudite scholar noted that Accounting science helmet provides a safety umbrella to shade RAIR from shady accounting practices and can serve as both protective measure and forward looking.
Mr Vice Chancellor,in the foregoing senses, reinforcement can increase the probability that the accounting’ behaviour will occur again in similar situations.This implies that reinforcing the helmet is a powerful tool in shaping accountants behaviour, learning and development and this can lead to more effective strategies in accounting therapy and everyday interactions”,he stated.
The lecture examined the evolution of philosophical thought in accounting, notion of pragmatic ideologies in accounting, visionary accounting paradigm , transparency , differences and similarities,the helmet metaphor : balancing protection progress.
He posisted that accounting plays vital role in the socio-economic development of nations , stressing that Accounting is the instrument for financial management , transparency, and resource allocation.
“Over the years ,the accounting system has undergone significant transformations influenced by historical developments , regulatory reforms, and the adoption of global standards which serve as the helmet reinforcing and protecting socio_economic development.”
Reinforcement is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology and learning theory, particularly in the context of operant conditioning. it refers to any stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated in the future.It can be understood as a mechanism that encourages certain behaviors through rewards or consequences,”he stated.
In concluding, Prof Obara stated that Nigeria’s economic landscape demands an accounting profession that is both pragmatic and visionary .
Earlier in his speech,the Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Nlerum Sunday Okogbule represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof Victor Akujuru the lecture said is valuable and is capable to advancing the growth and development of any society if adopted, even as he commended the lecturer for a thoughtful and impacted inaugural lecture.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A team of board members and directors of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board led by Member in charge of Supervision / Monitoring, Chief Nwuke Anucha visited Ogboloma,a riverine community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of the State to inspect a six classroom block built single handedly by the community recently.
Speaking at the King’s palace shortly after inspecting the building and facilities in the school, Chief Anucha, who represented the board chairman, Alabo David Briggs, commended the people of Ogboloma for remaining united and working in synergy for the good of the community and the younger generation.
While assuring them that the board chairman would surely be briefed on the effort so far made by the community in encouraging education in the area, Anucha expressed optimism that he (Briggs) will not hesitate to give his approval for the school to kick off and called on the people to see education as the responsibility of all.
He used the medium to thank the King of Ogboloma His Highness Micah Brother, the councilor, Hon. Thomas Carlson; CDC Chairman, Lucky Brave Egba, Chiefs and elders and youths for working in synergy for the progress of community.
Also speaking, the board member in charge of projects Dr. Walson Ominini lauded the people for promoting education in the area, assuring them that their effort will not be in vain.
Earlier in his speech, the King of Ogboloma, His King Micah Brother thanked the bfor finding time to visit the community, pointing out that the six classroom block was the singular effort of the community and appealed to the board chairman to give approval for the school to kick off.
The King who spoke through the councillor representing the area, Hon. Thomas Carlson narrated how children in the community are trekking long distances to neighbouring communities in search of quality education and sometimes would be bitten by snakes called on the board to come to their aid as government presence is not in any way felt in the community.
The chiefs also spoke, thanking the board officers for coming to see things for themselves.
By: Akujobi Amadi