Education

ECOWAS Countries Meet to Strategize on School Meals Programmes

Published

2 years ago

October 3, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

ECOWAS Countries Meet to Strategize on School Meals Programmes

By: Michael Mike

Over a hundred technical experts including government officials, policy makers, donor representatives, and researchers from Education, Agriculture, Gender and Social Protection sectors, from West Africa and beyond on Tuesday kick-started a meeting in Dakar, Senegal to share knowledge and best practices on the implementation of school meals programmes using locally-sourced food.

Led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the two-day high-level conference is entitled, “Investing in homegrown school meals to strengthen human capital, women’s economic empowerment and contribute to economic development”.

According to a statement, it offers a unique opportunity for participants to take stock of and shed light on school meals programmes and their impact on countries’ economic growth, food systems strengthening and women’s empowerment.

Professor Fatou Sow-Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner at the conference’s opening event, said: “Today, it is important to stress that benchmarks in health, nutrition and education make a considerable contribution to economic growth in the sub-region. It has been shown that the introduction of school meals programmes based on local production can, among other things reduce poverty, increase school enrolment, generate income, add value to local products, and promote community cohesion, stability and productivity,”

The ECOWAS Commissioner also called on all Member States to work on a school meals model that offers children safe, diversified and nutritious food from local sources.

He said: “School canteens can help to strengthen local food systems, in particular by creating stable markets, stimulating local agriculture and improving agricultural production.”

According to the statement, at the end of the conference, technical experts are expected to establish strategic plans that will help national governments to reinforce political support for the adoption of school meals policies while securing financial investments to scale up the programme.

World Food Programme (WFP)’s Regional Director ad interim for Western Africa, Margot van der Velden, said : “West Africa has the potential to achieve universal school meals coverage through increased investments in homegrown school meals.”

She added that: “At WFP, we are humbled by the progress made by national governments and remain committed to working with all partners to ensure children have access to education and the nutritious food they need to thrive and grow into productive adults tomorrow.”

The 2022 State of School Feeding Worldwide report stated that despite Western Africa grappling with multiple and intertwined crises driven by conflict, climate shocks, a slow economic recovery from COVID-19, and the ripple effect of the crisis in Ukraine, ECOWAS Member States feed the largest number of school-aged children in Africa (22.4 million as of 2022, up from 20 million children fed in 2020),

The report insisted that overall, in the ECOWAS countries, 85 percent of school meals programmes are funded by domestic budgets. These programmes have created over 200,000 direct jobs in 11 ECOWAS countries mostly for women as cooks, food packers, quality control agents, processors and transporters. This confirms that when school meals are locally procured, the school meals programme contributes to strengthening local food systems, building stable markets, and boosting the local agriculture and sustainable supply chains.

Van der Velde declared that: “Homegrown school meals are more than a meal,” adding that: “They are a gateway to a better, healthier, and more prosperous future, and a platform that nourishes the next generation, creating jobs, economic growth, and longer-term development for entire countries.”

The statement said through this regional school meals conference, participants will discuss and share the most recent regional research and evidence, scale, coverage, and trends in school meals in the region. They will also highlight national approaches, experiences, and best practices in homegrown school meals programmes, as well as country-level constraints to scaling up these programmes.

ECOWAS Countries Meet to Strategize on School Meals Programmes

Education

Billionaire Indimi inaugurated for a second term as Pro Chancellor of the Kashim Ibrahim University Maiduguri

Published

2 days ago

September 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Billionaire Indimi inaugurated for a second term as Pro Chancellor of the Kashim Ibrahim University Maiduguri

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Nigerian Billionaire Dr Mohammed Indimi has been inaugurated for the second term as Pro Chancellor of the Borno State government owned Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU).

Indimi and his team were inaugurated monday by Governor Babagana Zulum to continue developing the state owned University which has grown massively since he took charge four years ago as pro chancellor.

Speaking after their inauguration, Zulum, tasked the Governing Council of the University to foster the culture of cutting-edge research, innovation and community development to address the challenges and opportunities of the post-insurgency recovery efforts.

The Governor noted that the inauguration is part of the broader effort to reposition the University as a beacon of knowledge, innovation and moral rectitude, not just for the North-East, but for Nigeria as a whole.

He stressed that the challenges before the new council was significant as the opportunities are myriad adding that “we task you with fostering a culture of rigorous research, innovative teaching and community-relevant curricula that addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of our post-insurgency recovery and development”.

Governor Zulum expressed delight that the student population alone had grown from a mere 300 in the beginning to about 10,000 in the last 6 years.

He charged the new council to prioritize the welfare of both staff and students and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence, transparency and prudent management of resources.

“You are now the legal custodians of this university’s destiny, entrusted with a sacred mandate to provide strategic direction, ensure financial prudence, uphold the highest standards of academic excellence and safeguard the welfare of both staff and students.

“This ceremony is a fulfilment of our administration’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the governance structures of all tertiary institutions in Borno State.

“It is pivotal to repositioning this University as a beacon of knowledge, innovation and moral rectitude, not just for the North-East, but Nigeria as a whole”.

“Section 1(1) (c) of the Third Schedule of the Kashim Ibrahim University Law, 2018, as amended, empowers me to constitute a Governing Council as the supreme governing body of the University charged with the general control and superintendence of the policy, finances and administration of the institution”.

“In particular, I wish to address our Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Indimi. Your legendary philanthropy and unwavering support for education are well-known,” he concluded.

Responding, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr Muhammadu Indimi said he graciously accepted the appointment with the aim of serving his state and promised to provide positive change in the University.

“I accepted this position because I have to support my state. With my able lieutenants, we promise to provide positive change in the University,” Indimi assured.

Billionaire Indimi inaugurated for a second term as Pro Chancellor of the Kashim Ibrahim University Maiduguri

Education

Zulum Tasks University Council on Innovative Research for Post-Insurgency Recovery

Published

3 days ago

September 2, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Zulum Tasks University Council on Innovative Research for Post-Insurgency Recovery

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has tasked the Governing Council of Kashim Ibrahim University to foster the culture of cutting-edge research, innovation and community development to address the challenges and opportunities of the post-insurgency recovery effort.

The governor gave the task on Monday while inaugurating the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr Muhammadu Indimi and members of the Governing Council of the University at the Council Chamber of the Government House in Maiduguri.

He noted that the inauguration is part of the broader effort to reposition the University as a beacon of knowledge, innovation and moral rectitude, not just for the North-East, but for Nigeria as a whole.

“The challenges before you are as significant as the opportunities. We task you with fostering a culture of rigorous research, innovative teaching and community-relevant curricula that address the unique challenges and opportunities of our post-insurgency recovery and development,” Zulum stated.

Governor Zulum expressed delight that the student population has grown from 300 to about 10,000 in the last 6 years.

He charged them to prioritize the welfare of both staff and students and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence, transparency and prudent management of resources.

“This ceremony is a fulfilment of our administration’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the governance structures of all tertiary institutions in Borno State. It is pivotal to repositioning this University as a beacon of knowledge, innovation and moral rectitude, not just for the North-East, but Nigeria as a whole”.

Governor Zulum remarked that his administration is making unprecedented investments in education, constructed 139 new mega schools, rehabilitated many others and recruited thousands of teachers. “We are establishing six centres of excellence and have banned political thuggery to redirect the energies of our youth towards scholarly and vocational pursuits”.

He congratulated the Chairman and members of the Council for their commitment, integrity and passion for the advancement of the institution.

“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to you all. Your selection was not by chance. It was a deliberate choice based on your proven integrity, vast experience and demonstrable passion for education and community development. In particular, I wish to address our Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Indimi. Your legendary philanthropy and unwavering support for education are well-known,” he concluded.

“I accepted this position because I have to support my state. With my able lieutenants, we promise to provide positive change in the university,” Indimi assured.

Zulum Tasks University Council on Innovative Research for Post-Insurgency Recovery

Education

Final year student dies during abortion in Lokoja

Published

1 week ago

August 27, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Final year student dies during abortion in Lokoja

By: Zagazola Makama

A final year student of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has died during an abortion procedure in a private clinic.

Zagazola learnt incident occurred on Aug. 26 at Al-Hassan Clinic and Maternity, Sarkin Noma, Lokoja.

The deceased, identified as Omotosho Dorcas, 26, was six months pregnant and had gone to the clinic for termination of the pregnancy.

“In the process of the abortion, she bled to death,” said sources.

The sources said police detectives visited the scene, took photographs, and evacuated the corpse to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, for preservation.

The sources added that the suspect behind the procedure has been arrested, while the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

Final year student dies during abortion in Lokoja