Key stakeholders and Policymakers from 10 focal States have rallied behind a legislative push to lock down nutrition funding, declaring that the health of Nigerian children must be secured by law, not left to chance.
On Day 2 of the Strategic Policy Discourse on nutrition,Honourable Members of State Houses of Assembly, Chairpersons of relevant Legislative Committees, Senior government officials, Development Partners, Civil society organisations, Media and Nutrition Experts from Adamawa, Bayelsa, Cross River, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.gathered to deliberate on strengthening policies, increasing domestic funding, and scaling up grassroots nutrition interventions.
Opening the discussions on sustaining nutrition investments, Dr. Osita Okonkwo, Country Director of Nutrition International, emphasized that political goodwill is not enough to secure Nigeria’s future.
“Nutrition financing is built on law, not luck,” Dr. Okonkwo stated, urging States to institutionalize funding through solid legislative frameworks rather than relying on erratic budget releases.
Addressing the meeting on the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) and maternity policies, Mr. Oluniyi Oyedokun, Nutrition Specialist with the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, highlighted the CNF as a “catalytic financing match mechanism.” The initiative enables state and national governments to double their investment in vital nutrition commodities by matching allocated funds.
“It is a big win, and we would love every state to key into this initiative,” Oyedokun said. He warned that many states still battle stunting rates of over 30 percent, stressing that the critical window to intervene is within a child’s first 1,000 days of life.
Data shared by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare from the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) further underscored the urgency, prompting officials and Chairman ,committee on Nutrition and Food security, house of representatives honourable Chike Okaofor to encourage States to not only Leverage the Child Nutrition Fund to beat Stunting ,but scale up the uptake of nutrition commodities through the N774 Initiative for improved outcomes in Nigeria.
The discourse turned a critical spotlight on workplace support for Mothers. Between 2001 and 2026, only 15 states have approved 6 months of paid maternity and paternity leave.
States analyzed their current budget performances against the heavy burden of malnutrition and agreed that funding must be actively pushed to the Local Government Areas (LGAs) to mobilize and support breastfeeding at the grassroots level.
Reiterating their commitment, the states resolved that approving 6 months of paid maternity leave is only the first step—the ultimate goal is ensuring babies are exclusively breastfed during this period.
Supporting this drive, the Head of Service for Zamfara State, Yakubu Sani Haidara, mni, noted that while most public service institutions pay nursing mothers 100% of their salaries during the 6-month leave, the private sector must follow suit.
“Private institutions must not only follow suit but also establish creches. This is vital for our Human Development Index ,” Haidara urged.
At the conclusion of the discourse, the 10 states adopted a comprehensive communiqué, committing to immediate policy and financial actions:
Policy & Legislation: Finalize the National Nutrition Bill, legislate 6 months of paid maternity and paternity leave, establish creches in both public and private workplaces, and actively support 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Funding & Commodities: Increase and invest in the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), release state counterpart funds to leverage the matching mechanism, and purchase key commodities like Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), and school feeding provisions.
Institutional Strength: Create dedicated Nutrition Departments across key ministries, implement multi-sectoral plans for nutrition, establish State Councils on Nutrition for high-level decision-making, and rigorously track nutrition spending.
