Otamere Gladness 
KATSINA, Nigeria – Stakeholders in Katsina State call for extending paid maternity leave from four months to six months to promote exclusive breastfeeding and improve child nutrition outcomes.
The call is contained in a communiqué issued on Monday after a multi-sectoral meeting convened by the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), with support from UNICEF.
Signatories include representatives of the State Primary Health Care Agency, Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Local Government Affairs, and the Office of the Statistician-General.
“The extension of paid maternity leave is aimed at encouraging exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers,” the stakeholders say.
They also urge the state government to fast-track implementation of its multi-sectoral nutrition strategic plan and conduct a comprehensive malnutrition assessment across Katsina’s 34 local government areas.
According to the communiqué, reliable nutrition data is critical for effective planning, budgeting and targeted interventions to address malnutrition at community level.
The stakeholders further call for increased budgetary allocation to nutrition programmes, timely release of funds and local manufacturing of nutrition commodities to strengthen food and nutrition committees.
They highlight the scale of the challenge, citing NDHS 2023 data showing that 60.5 per cent of children under five in Katsina are stunted, 26.8 per cent underweight and 16.7 per cent wasted.
“Sustained investment in nutrition is essential for development, economic prosperity and overall wellbeing,” the group says, warning that urgent action is needed to reverse the alarming statistics.
About the Author
Chukwu Obinna 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Mirian Gom 