At a one-day policy dialogue on nutrition, experts concurred that investing in nutrition is crucial for sustainable development and economic prosperity.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), known as Civil Society: Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUN), expressed concern in a communiqué after their one-day meeting in Birnin-Kebbi about the link between stunting and reduced productivity in adulthood.
Highlighting that 66.1 per cent of children under five are stunted, 46.4 per cent underweight, and 12.3 per cent wasted, participants emphasised the need for concerted efforts.
The dialogue advocated per centfor securing policymakers’ commitment to implementing a six-month paid maternity leave for women of productive age and ensuring the adequate and timely release of nutrition funds in Kebbi State.
Participants underscored that extended maternity leave can boost job satisfaction, enhance productivity, and strengthen family bonds.
They stressed the importance of continuous engagement with all stakeholders, calling for robust advocacy to raise awareness about the benefits of extended maternity leave and garner public and political support.
Stakeholders resolved to collaborate closely with the Kebbi State government to facilitate the smooth implementation of the extended maternity leave policy, conduct advocacy visits to relevant MDAs for budgetary allocation and fund release, and encourage the governor’s wife to champion breastfeeding, leveraging World Breastfeeding Week.
They also aim to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to articulate the issues and advocacy efforts.
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