By Amos Aar
A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation, Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUUN) has appealed to the Benue State Government to extend maternity leave for nursing mothers in the state from the current three to six months with pay.
Mr Ameh Onoja, a member of CS-SUUN, stated this when the organisation paid an advocacy visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs on Tuesday in Makurdi.
Onoja expressed optimism that if that was done, it would go a long way to encourage exclusive breastfeeding.
“It is crucial to implement maternity entitlements like a six-month paid maternity leave and establish workplace creches.
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“These measures are key in promoting exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life and sustaining breast feeding alongside appropriate complementary feeding until two years of age,” Onoja asserted.
He also stated that CS-SUUN wants to ensure that all infants in the state could live healthier and more productive lives, urging the government to allocate and release promptly adequate funds for the implementation of nutrition interventions designed to reduce malnutrition in the state.
He further appealed to the government to approve and fund the Benue Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition, stressing that nutrition departments should be established in all line Ministries, Department and Agencies.
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Onoja also called on government to support the scaling-up staple food fortification initiatives for availability of affordable nutritious foods.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Anna Itodo, said that the ministry had included nutrition in the 2024 budget for the first time. Itodo pledged that the ministry would partner with the organisation to boost nutrition in the state.
