Invest N9billion in Nutrition to Save Lives, CS-SUNN Urges Adamawa Govt

The Civil Society–Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), has urged Adamawa State to invest the sum of N9billion in nutrition sector in order to save lives of over 70,000 children in Adamawa State.

CS-SUNN has equally appealed to the government to extend paid maternity leave from 3 to 6 months to female civil servants to enable them exclusively breastfeed their babies.

According to CS-SUNN,  government should maximize the counterpart funding opportunities of getting double the value of investments made on child nutrition, saying that government will need to invest only N9 billion to address child malnutrition instead of the required N18billion.

CS-SUNN, with support from UNICEF, is implementing the project “Increased Investment in Nutrition to Scale Up Quality Nutrition Services” in Adamawa State. 

The call was made during a one -day State Level Media Dialogue and Stakeholder Engagement on the Child Nutrition Fund and implementation of 6 months paid maternity leave held in Yola, Adamawa Capital.

In a press statement signed by the Chairman, Steering Committee CS-SUNN, Sodangi Adam Chindo, said that they had convened a round table dialogue to catalyze urgent action for increased nutrition financing and effective implementation of the State Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition (ASMPFAN).

Sodangi added that they were in Adamawa State to advocate for an increase funding on nutrition in order to address the challenges of nutrition as well as urge the government to extend paid maternity leave for mothers in the state.

He explained that payment of counterpart fund will enable government to get double of whatever amount it committed as counterpart fund, saying that the government will benefit enormously from the counterpart fund.

He further advocated on the need for the government to extend paid maternity leave to enable mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies, stating that about 4 states in the Northeast have already keyed into it.

He said that over 70,000 children in Adamawa State are in dire need of the intervention, and disclosed that they have seen commitment on the part of the government, and that the next thing is for it is to translate the commitment into funding.

Also speaking, the Coordinator CS-SUNN Adamawa State Chapter, Ibrahim Bello, said that they had had series of engagements by strengthening the alliance at the state chapter, interacted with nutrition stakelders, effort of government in providing counterpart fund.

He said that during their interaction, they impressed on the government to commit more funds for child nutrition and extension of paid maternity leave for female civil servants in the state from 3 to 6 months.

He called on the relevant duty bearers in the state to heed to call, because according to him, nutrition is critical as it affects all the development and that when the state gets it right in nutrition, the future will be in good health.