Children’s Day: Buhari Promises Better Welfare for Children with N13bn for Vaccines, N93bn for School Feeding

Children’s Day: Buhari Promises Better Welfare for Children with N13bn for Vaccines, N93bn for School Feeding

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday promised that his administration would continue to see to the welfare of Nigerian children, noting that such commitment is exemplified by the allocation of N12.6 billion for vaccines and N93.1bn for school feeding in the 2016 budget.

The president, in a children’s day address, made available by the presidency, stated that the budgetary provision for vaccines would help to prevent childhood killer diseases such as polio, measles and yellow fever while the school feeding policy would ensure that more children are enrolled in school and enjoy the fun of learning and growing together with their peers.

“Despite the current economic and funding challenges facing our dear nation, my administration will continue to do all within its powers to achieve better living conditions and greater access to quality healthcare and education for all our youth,” Buhari said.

The president equally expressed his delight that this year’s children’s day is being celebrated around the time one of over 200 abducted Chibok school girls was reunited with her family.

“It is a thing of joy that on this year’s Children’s Day, we can also celebrate the safe return of one of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali Nkeki and many other abducted women and children who have been freed from the clutches of Boko Haram by our gallant troops,” he said.

Aside ensuring the re-integration of children with their families in Nigeria’s north-east where peace is gradually beginning to reign after many years of insurgency, President Buhari said he is committed to addressing other issues affecting Nigerian children.

“We will also sustain and strengthen ongoing actions to protect children more effectively from violence, child-labour, child-trafficking, forced marriages and other related offences,” he said.