The Kaduna State government has spent over N10 billion on the school feeding programme for pupils in public primary schools within eight months, the state Commissioner for Education, Professor Andrew Nok, has said.

Presenting the mid-term report of his ministry at a news conference, Professor Nok said the programme, which was stopped because the Federal Government was not forthcoming with its counterpart funding put at N6.8 billion, will continue in July 2017, as the state has received N3.4 billion, half of the money owed it by the Federal Government.

He said, “Kaduna State started partial school feeding in January but stopped it in August. We have spent at least N10 billion on the school feeding for the eight months.

“The initial arrangement was that classes 1 to 3 pupils will be fed by the Federal Government and primary 4 -6 to be under the state government.

“Since Federal Government was not ready we felt it would be unwise to go and feed classes 4-6 pupils and leave those of classes 1-3 so we fed all pupils of government primary schools for eight months.”

The commissioner also said the state government would soon reopen the state-owned institutions in Southern Kaduna, especially the Kafachan Campus of the Kaduna State University and College of Education, Gidan Waya as the security situation in the area has improved.

He also disclosed plans to convert all government-owned secondary schools to boarding schools, noting that the plan has started with 15 previously selected schools to be joined by 15 others to be selected soon.