Bukola Afeni
The Women in Power, Governor’s Wives, Female Senators, Legislators, and All Women in Authority from both Private and Public Sectors have been called upon to lend their voices and support to the prompt releases of nutrition budgets towards implementing the National and State Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition.
The Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), NGOs, International Non-government Organizations( INGOs), Donors, implementing partners and nutrition stakeholders made the disclosure at the National Women in Power Conference on Nutrition in Abuja.
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs organized the Women in Power Conference in collaboration with Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Save The Children , and other partners .
The Board of Trustee Member Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria(CS-SUNN), Dr Mbang Ada Kooffreh called for the empowerment of women and girls through access to continuous education, inclusion in decision making and economic opportunities for optimal nutrition.
“When girls and women are empowered, they will be at their best and be able to give their children and family quality and nutritious food”, she added.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, called for an extension of paid maternity leave to six months for both private and public sector employees.
Tallen noted that promoting exclusive breastfeeding in the first 1000 days, from pregnancy to two years of age is critical to enable all children to live healthily.
“Breastmilk contributes to child brain development, increased intelligence, and lifelong productivity. The benefit of breastfeeding to both the mother, the child and the society is quite enormous.
” It is essential to provide breastfeeding rooms, on-site creches, and flexible work options to ensure baby-friendly workplaces. Empowering women and girls with education and resources to enable them to access optimal nutrition for themselves and their families”, she said.
The Minister further added that the federal government is engaging in different initiatives to improve the nutrition indices in the country.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is among the five critical sectors identified to implement the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria(ANRIN) project.
“It is an initiative by the Government of Nigeria with support from World Bank to increase the utilization of quality, cost-effective, and high-impact nutrition services for pregnant, lactating women, adolescent girls and children under five years”, she said.
The Chairman, of Nigeria Governor Wives Forum, Maryam Mairo Tambuwal called on stakeholders in the nutrition sector to ensure that funds meant for nutrition are spent judiciously.
“We are calling for accountability in terms of funds allocated for nutrition. We will ensure that there is proper disbursement of funds meant for nutrition at the state level.
As Governors’ wives we are role models and would ensure that children have access to good nutrition”, she said.
She further called for collaboration and partnerships among relevant ministries and agencies to ensure good nutrition at state levels.
The Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Wives charged mothers to ensure that their children have access to good nutrition, especially at the early phase of their lives.
“We need to ensure that every child has access to good nutrition, especially within the first 1000 days. We are paying attention to women in the rural areas.
Women’s nutritional status has been recognised for decades, but there has been little progress in addressing the specific nutritional problems of women and adolescent girls and their families.
The intervention of highly powered nutrition activities will bring about a nourished nation, and attainment of the SDGs.
