AREGBESOLA IN THE UK, SETS TO ADDRESS BRITISH PARLIAMENT

All is now set at the United Kingdom’s House of Commons where the Governor of the Nigerian State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will on Wednesday (January 22, 2014)) address a high level gathering of British parliamentarians and leading experts on the importance and effects of his administration’s Home Grown School Feeding programme popularly referred to as “O-Meals”.
Governor Aregbesola, who was invited by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Agriculture and Food for Development and the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), Imperial College London, will use the opportunity to make a ten-minute presentation on “O-Meals” as a supportive tool for educational and agricultural development to the August assembly.
In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, office of the Osun state governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon noted that an electronic statement released by Mr. Frank Peel, the Communications Officer of Francis Peel of the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), Imperial College London, is to show the importance of the feeding programme.
The statement also added that the gathering will feature the participation of development experts that will focus on “the evolution and improvement of government-led Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programmes in low and middle income countries”
The statement explained that, “these programmes have the potential to bring countries closer to the UN Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty and hunger, and ensuring universal primary education by 2015.
He added that appropriately designed school feeding programmes have been shown to increase access to education and learning, and improve children’s health and nutrition, especially when integrated into comprehensive school health and nutrition programmes.
The organisers described the State of Osun as one that is in vanguard of the HGSF movement with its O’Meals school feeding programme.
“Osun is a state to be copied for feeding over 240,000 children from over 1328 government run schools, the O-Meals programme initiated by Governor Aregbesola is a “win-win” situation for children and farmers.
“The O’Meals programme has proved to be a ‘win-win’ for children and farmers alike; with primary school enrolment increasing by 24% since the inception of providing free school meals, whilst at the same time securing farmer livelihoods and access to markets.
“The O’Meals programme also encompasses wider school health and nutrition initiatives including hygiene promotion and deworming children for common worm infections which have negative impacts on their development and learning abilities”. He submitted.
The PCD spokesman referred to an earlier statement made by Governor Aregbesola at the inception of the O-Meals programme where said “that well fed and healthy pupils are learning under an encouraging environment in order to secure a great future for themselves and the country, stands as one of the greatest achievements of our administration”.
He held that such remark signposted the successful outcome of the School feeding programme for Osun pupils in public primary schools.
Underscoring the importance of the occasion, Peel quoted Lord Cameron of Dillington who will be chairing the event as saying “’I invite all those working for equitable agricultural development as well as for universal quality education to learn about a successful programme in Nigeria that is helping to ensure progress on both fronts.”
The meeting is also expected to feature speeches by Professor Donald Bundy, a leading Health and Education Specialist at The World Bank; Chief of School Feeding and Chronic Hunger at the World Food Programme Food, Mr. Peter Rodrigues; Senior Food & Nutrition Security Advisor at The New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Ms. Boitshepo Bibi Giyose and Senior HGSF Technical Advisor at PCD, Imperial College London Professor Josephine Kiamba,.