We're in Support of 6 Months Paid Maternity Leave-Adamawa Ministries

 

Adamawa State Ministries of Livestock and Aquaculture Development, Water Resources and Reconstruction, Rehabilitation Reintegration and Human Services have declared their support towards implementation of 6 months paid maternity leave as well as nutrition funds.

The Permanent Secretaries of the ministries stated this while receiving the Civil Society -Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) on advocacy visit in their respective offices at the State Secretariat on Thursday.

Speaking while receiving the delegation in his office, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Livestock and Aquaculture, Dr. Suleiman Muhammad Amin, commended the CS-SUNN, and described the advocacy as timely.

Dr. Suleiman Amin, assured the delegation that his ministry will do everything humanly possible to support CS-SUNN for implementation of 6 months paid maternity leave and the nutrition funds.

On exclusive breastfeeding, he stated that the government is ready to support them to reach out to larger population outside civil service, saying that the percentage of those in civil service is negligible compared to those outside.

"The society needs to be aware. You also need to make use of the media to carry out the advocacy, visit traditional institutions, religious leaders, youth and women groups, business women and host of others.

Ministry of Water Resources

While receiving the delegation in his office, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water Resources, Hassan Maunde Modibbo, hailed CS-SUNN for bring up the matter at this critical time.

Hassan Maunde, stated that mothers need rest to take good care of their children, and pledged to support the implementation of the policy, urging them to intensify campaigns to make government respond positively so as to achieve the set objective.

Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Human Services (RRR and HS)

On his part, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Human Services, Pharm. Amos Piribu, said that nutrition is key considering the primary function of the ministry.

Pharm Piribu, expressed hope that the partnership between the ministry and CS-SUNN will continue to wax stronger day by day, assuring that the doors of the ministry are always open to support the implementation of the policy on nutrition and exclusive breastfeeding.

"We are solidly behind you. But our mandate stops at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees for now. They are also part of the entire society. So if we are talking about nutrition is very important to this ministry". Pharm Piribu explained.

Earlier, the State Coordinator CS-SUNN, Ngozika Ibhadode, informed the permanent secretaries that the Federal Government had put in place a policy that grants 6 months paid maternity leave to nursing mothers to enable them breastfeed exclusively.

Ngozika, disclosed that the policy is not yet being implemented across the country and Adamawa State is one of the states that is yet to adopt that policy and implement it.

She said, "We are here to request Adamawa State to look into the policy and activate it and take decision to ensure all ministries, departments and agencies adopt the policy to ensure that women are granted 6 months paid maternity leave.

She revealed that they are in the state to see how the 6 months paid maternity leave becomes a policy so that mothers can benefit, saying that no fewer than 13 states have been implementing it.

"We also have the child nutrition fund being supported by UNICEF where a state is expected to make contribution of an amount and UNICEF will give double of what the state contributed in nutrition commodities for pregnant women". She further stated.

In his contributions, the Programme Officer CS-SUNN, Ambrose Evhoesor, noted that the ministries are relevant and appealed for their support towards ensuring budget for nutrition are not only increased, released but utilised effectively. 

"We feel that Adamawa State should also key into it. We believe that with your commitment we can get the relevant stakeholders together to push for the approval. When it comes to nutrition we cannot remove your ministries because they are key". He said.

He said that they had found out that there was an increase in nutrition budget in 2024, but what they also observed was releases and utilisation, saying it is not just budgeting for nutrition, but there is need to ensure timely releases.

Ambrose said,"The indices before us are not friendly. So there is need for an emergency attention to be given to nutrition in the state. We really need to invest in nutrition if we must reduce the number of children dying or malnurished".