The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), is intensifying its efforts to tackle child malnutrition in Nigeria starting with a strategic collaboration in Kwara State.
The Chief Nutrition & Development, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Nemat Hajeebhoy gave the hint during an orientation with state and local government officials in Ilorin the Kwara State capital where she warned that two-thirds of Nigerian children are malnourished, placing the country second only to India in global rankings.
According to the Chief Nutrition & Development, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Nemat Hajeebhoy who emphasized the need for exclusive breastfeeding, universal immunization, and access to clean water and sanitation, especially in a country where over 31 million people face food insecurity, said local councils must keep detailed records of children to enable targeted support, adding that there’s need for deliberate commitment and investment by all and sundry to address the trend.
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Responding, Kwara’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Amina El-Imam, reaffirmed the state’s commitment, highlighting six-month maternity leave for nursing mothers as part of nutrition-focused reforms while the representative of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kwara, AbdulRahman Ladan, promise that all LGAs would prioritize children’s health and take ownership of nutrition programmes.
The Federal government on its part also affirmed it’s commitment to increasing budgetary allocation into the health sector.
With two thirds of Nigerian children malnourished, UNICEF is pushing urgent action in Kwara State to improve child nutrition and health systems with a view to fighting widespread child malnutrition across Nigeria.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
