The Kaduna State Government has commended the impact of its school feeding programme, saying the initiative is enhancing the nutritional status of students, reducing financial pressure on parents and promoting improved learning outcomes in public boarding schools.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Uba Sani on the School Feeding Programme, Engineer Fauziya Buhari-Ado, stated this during a medical outreach organised by the Bantex Memorial Foundation in partnership with the Second Chance Humanitarian Aid Foundation in Manchok, Kaura Local Government Area, over the weekend.
The outreach offered free healthcare services to hundreds of residents, including medical consultations, laboratory investigations, diagnosis and treatment for cancer, hepatitis and various eye-related illnesses.
The Bantex Memorial Foundation was established in memory of the late Bala Bantex, a former Deputy Governor of Kaduna State and ex-Commissioner for Health. The organisation has continued to honour his legacy through annual humanitarian programmes aimed at improving access to healthcare for underserved communities.
Buhari-Ado described the outreach as aligning with Governor Uba Sani’s efforts to improve the welfare of residents through sustained investments in education, healthcare and social intervention programmes.
She revealed that five public boarding schools in Kaura Local Government Area are currently enrolled in the Kaduna State School Feeding Programme, stressing that the initiative has greatly reduced the financial obligations of parents.
According to her, the Kaduna State Government now pays the full cost of feeding as well as approved school charges for students in the participating schools.
“I met with the parents and they acknowledged that government has taken away 100 per cent of the feeding cost as well as the school charges. No parent is required to pay even one naira,” she said.
Buhari-Ado added that parents had also confirmed noticeable improvements in the health and wellbeing of their children, attributing the development to the provision of nutritious meals throughout the school term.
She said she often reminded parents, in a light-hearted manner, of the need to maintain healthy feeding habits for their children during school holidays.
“We don’t want the children coming back to school having lost the healthy weight they gained while in school because they are well fed,” she said.
The governor’s aide further applauded the Bantex Memorial Foundation for its consistent efforts in delivering healthcare services to rural communities, noting that the annual medical outreach has been sustained over the past five years.
She also described the impressive attendance at the event—which included the Chairman of Kaura Local Government Area, traditional rulers, community leaders and residents—as a reflection of increasing public trust in grassroots development initiatives.
Buhari-Ado expressed confidence that the Kaduna State Government would continue collaborating with organisations such as the Bantex Memorial Foundation to strengthen healthcare, education and other social development programmes across the state.
The Kaduna State School Feeding Programme is one of the flagship social intervention initiatives of the Uba Sani administration. The scheme is designed to improve nutrition among students in public boarding schools while easing the financial burden on families by providing balanced meals throughout the school term.
State officials say the programme is being expanded across public boarding schools, with thousands of students benefiting from government-funded meals and other welfare support intended to improve school enrolment, retention, academic performance and overall human capital development.
